Environment of Indonesia

Indonesia is a country made up of 17,508 islands spread out on both sides of the equator. Its large size, warm tropical climate, and unique island geography help it support an amazing variety of plants and animals. In fact, Indonesia has the second highest level of biodiversity in the world, just after Brazil. This means the country is home to many different species, making it a very important place for nature lovers and scientists who study the environment.

Issues

Indonesia has many environmental problems because of its large population, fast industrial growth, and weak governance. Some big issues include cutting down forests (often illegally), which causes wildfires and heavy smog affecting parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. There are also problems with overusing ocean resources, air pollution, traffic jams, garbage, and keeping clean water available. Cutting forests and destroying peatlands makes Indonesia one of the top countries that release gases that warm the planet. These changes also danger many animals, including some orangutans.

The country does not do very well in taking care of its environment compared to other countries. It ranks 107 out of 180 countries in taking care of the environment. Some of the worst areas are managing water, taking care of fisheries, and handling forests. However, Indonesia does better with energy and climate issues because most people have electricity. Environmental problems also affect health and wildlife.

Climate Change

Main article: Climate change in Indonesia

Climate change poses big risks for Indonesia. Without reducing emissions, temperatures could rise by about 1°C by the middle of this century. This means more very hot days, droughts, and food shortages because rain patterns will change. Diseases like dengue fever and malaria may become more common, and wildfires could happen more often.

Rising sea levels are also a major concern. Since Indonesia is made up of many islands, rising seas could threaten millions of homes by the middle of this century. Many people, especially in coastal cities like Jakarta, live in areas that are at risk of flooding because the land is sinking. Poor communities will suffer the most from these changes, as they often depend on farming and fishing, which are affected by climate shifts.

Environmental policy and law

Indonesia has joined many important treaties and global agreements to help protect the planet. These include agreements on protecting nature, fighting climate change, stopping desert growth, saving endangered animals, and more.

In 2020, Indonesia made big progress in taking care of its forests. The rate of forest loss was the slowest it had been in 30 years, much lower than the year before. This happened because the government stopped giving out new permits to cut down forests, even for growing palm oil. The drop in palm oil prices helped this effort, and wet weather also prevented many wildfires.