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.
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.
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