Forest Depletion in Indonesia: An Environmental Economics Perspective on Sustainability and Community Welfare
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23917/saintek.v2i2.17910Keywords:
deforestation, environmental economics, environmental degradation, sustainable development, ecosystem sustainability, biodiversity loss, forest exploitation, environmental policy, natural resource managementAbstract
Forest depletion in Indonesia has become a major issue due to its environmental, economic, and social impacts. This study aims to analyze the trends and main causes of forest depletion in Indonesia and examine its economic, environmental, and social consequences. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach using a literature review method. Data were collected from scientific journals, government reports, books, and relevant academic publications obtained through Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Garuda. The data were analyzed systematically through data reduction, classification, validation, comparative interpretation, and integration with environmental economics theory. The findings indicate that forest depletion in Indonesia is primarily caused by plantation expansion, mining activities, illegal logging, infrastructure development, and weak environmental governance. Although forest exploitation contributes to short-term economic growth, it also generates long-term environmental losses that are often excluded from conventional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculations. Furthermore, deforestation contributes to biodiversity loss, climate change, soil degradation, water disruption, and increased risks of natural disasters such as floods and landslides. These impacts directly affect community welfare, particularly among rural and indigenous populations that depend on forest ecosystems. This study concludes that forest depletion in Indonesia is a multidimensional issue requiring integrated and sustainable policies involving environmental conservation, economic sustainability, social inclusion, and stronger governance to support long-term ecological and community resilience.
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