Effects of Indonesia Forest Fire 3

V. Environment Clusters
16. Environmental Problem Type:
Deforestation and Air
17. Describe the Habitat, Plants, and Animals in the Forest
Indonesia's rain forest is or rahter should be like others arounds the world. It should be filled with loud noises: sound of thousands of insects criketing, birds singing, monkeys calling, deer rustling/running around, leaves falling, wind weeping in through the trees, and etc. However, this is not the rain forest of Indonesia due to El Nino. The rain forest of Indonesia lacks water or humidity of any sort. The once habited by different animals, insects, birds, and trees is now filled with silence. Due to the fire, the habitants, such as orangutans have either fled or died. The other habitants would include the Sun Bear, Sumatran Tiger, Asian Elephant, and Javan Rhinoceros. All these species are in danger due to the fires.
18. Resource Impact and Effect:
There will be high impact in the long-run.
19. Urgency and Lifetime:
High urgency. The potential long term consequences of the fire is land loss, harvest collapse and economic disaster, which will lead to regional and global catastrophe.
20. Substitutes:
Educate the farmers in Indonesia of ways to clear land without the use of fires. Set forth fire quotas if fire must be used. Ban fires from occurring in particular areas.
VI. Other Factors
21. Culture:
No.
22. Trans-Boundary Issues:
Yes. The humes from the fire has been moving onto the neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore in the form of smog. Smog has caused not only air planes from landing, it has created major health problems for those who live in the region. Some have accessed that breathing the air is as though you are smoking over 80 cigarettes per day. South China Morning Post have reported that a rough calculation on long term effects on the death tally is a few hundred a day across the region, especially in Indonesia.
23. Human Rights:
Indirectly, this could be of issue, since much of the fire is caused by those who have no ties to the land. The indigenous people who live around the forest are becoming victims of this forest fire. Due to the Government giving much of the forest land to the retired generals as mentioned earlier, there is no human factor involved. The indigenous people have been living off of the forest land for many years, so these local people have respect and care for the forest, whereas, the new owners of the land only want to make money off the land in any way they can. And in the meanwhile, the indigenous people are not able to see the benefit of the forest. And instead, they acquire health problems, along with survival problems.
24. Relevant Literature
Angelsen, A. "Shifting Cultivation and 'Deforestation': A Study from Indonesia." World Development 23(10): 1713-1729.
Belcher, M. and A. Gennino. 1993. Southeast Asian Rainforests: A Resource Guide and Directory. Rainfores Action Network, San Francisco.
Dauvergne, P. 1994. "The Politics of Deforestation in Indonesia." Pacific Affairs 66(4):497-518.
Special Fact Sheet: Spcies Affected by the Fire in Indonesia. WWf Press Release. http://www.panda.org/news/press/news_153b.htm
Forest Fire News Archive. http://www.bosdata.nl/fire.htm