Impacts of Industrial Tree Plantations on the Inhabitants of South Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

The government of Indonesia has been promoting industrial tree plantations for over a decade, in order to meet the demands of a timber industry that has seen explosive growth. As only a few species of trees are planted in this kind of large-scale initiative, there have been concerns that the natural environment and the communities near the project sites will be markedly influenced (Photo 1). The objective of this chapter is to clarify how industrial tree plantations in Indonesia are operated and outline their impacts and influence on local communities. Some reports have been published on the impacts of industrial tree plantations on the inhabitants, especially the negative ones (Tasaka 1992; Cancre and Lohmann 1996; World Rainforest Movement 1999), which can still be observed in various places. As the democratization and decentralization of Indonesia progresses, forest policy is under review. Moreover, the carbon absorption properties of afforestation are receiving attention worldwide as one of the measures for controlling global warming. So as not to repeat the problems that industrial tree plantations have caused so far, they should be examined closely.