With deforestation rising, is Indonesia missing the forest for the trees?

Indonesia lost more than 26,000 sq km of primary and secondary forests last year, according to a new NGO report

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An aerial photo taken in December shows visible deforestation for nickel mining in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands. Photo: Auriga Nusantara

Published: 12:00pm, 9 Feb 2025

An area of forest more than three times the size of Singapore vanished in Indonesia last year, alarming environmental groups, who have cautioned that deforestation could worsen because of increased mining operations and the government’s focus on food and energy self-sufficiency.

Indonesia lost 261,575 hectares, or 2,615 sq km (1,010 square miles), of primary and secondary forests in 2024, according to a new report from NGO Auriga Nusantara – exceeding the previous year’s losses by more than 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres).

Based on satellite image analysis and fieldwork, the report published on January 31 showed most of the forest losses took place in areas that had been opened up for development by the government. East Kalimantan was ranked as the biggest contributor to deforestation at 44,483 hectares (109,920 acres) last year.

The Indonesian government has criticised the report, saying that it failed to acknowledge Jakarta’s significant replanting efforts.

An aerial view of buildings under construction at Nusantara, Indonesia’s future capital city, in East Kalimantan. Photo: AFP

Indonesia has one of the highest rates of deforestation globally due to mining, farming and logging activities. According to Global Forest Watch, more than 74 million hectares (183 million acres) of rainforest have been lost in Indonesia since 1950, driven by the palm oil, paper and rubber industries.