A last chance for Kutai National Park – local industry support for conservation

Abstract

Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan was originally established as a game reserve in 1936 and became a national park in 1982. The park's lowland forests have suffered from logging, agricultural encroachment and extensive fires during the prolonged dry season in 1982 and 1983. During the 1980s a new coal mine opened at Sangatta to exploit rich coal deposits along the northern boundary of the park. The new mine could have been the ‘last straw’ for Kutai. Instead, industrial development has provided a new and exciting opportunity to strengthen park protection and management.