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Where the Forest Ends
Forty million people live in and near Indonesia’s carbon-rich forests and peatlands, and while their lives are tied to the land, they often have little say in what happens to it. In Teluk Kabung, Riau province, decisions made in the capital Jakarta have h
The plantations spreading over Sumatra aren’t taking up empty land. Wholesale changes in ecology that come with new plantations can affect nearby rural villages most. Living on Earth’s Mitra Taj reports from Teluk Kabung, where the arrival of the pulpwood industry has devastated the cash crop of coconuts and left villagers with little hope for the future. It’s not clear whether the new UN scheme to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation ? or REDD ? designed to pay to preserve tropical forests will offer them a lifeline.