In 7 Years, South Sulawesi Lost Forest Equals the Size of Jakarta

TheIndonesia.co - The Executive Director of the Celebes Journal, Mustam Arief, said overlapping land management is causing deforestation including in South Sulawesi. From 2021 to 2019, deforestation in South Sulawesi reached 66,158.64 hectares (255 square miles) or equal to the size of the national capital Jakarta between 2012 and 2019.

"South Sulawesi is one of the provinces that is also experiencing problems with deforestation and forest area degradation," Mustam said in Makassar as quoted by Antara news agency, Sunday, December 12, 2021. The total deforestation in South Sulawesi reached 66,158.64 hectares or a deforestation rate of 1.1 hectares per hour.

The most threatened forest ecosystem is the northern region of South Sulawesi, namely Luwu Raya (Luwu, East Luwu, and North Luwu districts) caused by the mining industry. The total area of forest ecosystems that have been impacted by mining business permits in Luwu Raya is 97,960 hectares (378 square miles). In this case, aspects of licensing and law enforcement are important to implement sustainable forest management.

Compliance with licensing is carried out to ensure that the activities that take place in the forest are following the land designated through the spatial plan, and comply with environmental laws, regulations, and obligations. In the context of law enforcement, it relates to mechanisms to ensure compliance with permits and regulations that function to maintain and protect forest conditions and areas, important ecosystem lands and local communities, or indigenous peoples who depend on these resources.

There have been many studies and cases that reveal that Indonesia is currently facing various problems related to unsustainable forest management, resulting in deforestation and degradation. The main cause is the conversion of land for plantations, mining, and agriculture for the benefit of extractive industries in forest areas.

"The forest destruction has resulted in ecological disasters and social conflicts in almost all parts of Indonesia," said Rustam.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) reported that Indonesia experienced a significant rate of deforestation in the 1990s to early 2000s. In those two decades, Indonesia's forests were reduced by between 1.7 million to 2 million hectares every year.