Eastern Indonesia’s protected forests are among the latest to be targeted to satisfy a global obsession with palm oil.
AS THE MOST IN-DEMAND VEGETABLE oil, palm oil drives deforestation around the world. Globally, plantations total more than 27 million hectares, an area the size of New Zealand. For years, Indonesia has been the largest exporter, and it is now turning its attention to the province of Papua, home to about a third of Indonesia’s intact forests.
Papua is the country’s large stand easternmost province, home to many rich tribal cultures. But around 4,000 hectares of rainforest were cleared in the PT Megakarya Jaya (PT MJR) concession in Boven Digoel between May 2015 and April 2017, according to a Greenpeace investigation released this April. PT MJR is a subsidiary of the Yemeni-owned Hayel Saeed Anam Group (HSA), which sells palm oil to household names like Mars, PepsiCo, Unilever and Nestle.
Some of this documented forest clearing was in peatland areas that were zoned for protection by the government in response to a major forest fire in 2015. A Presidential Regulation of December 2016 extended a 2011 moratorium on forestry concessions, preventing clearance even on concessions already issued.
Until recently, Papua has been spared the rapid deforestation seen in the iconic forests of Borneo and Sumatra. From 2011 to 2017 however, 382,272 hectares of land in Papua and West Papua provinces were lost to palm oil.
Denne historien er fra September - October 2018-utgaven av Action Asia.
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Denne historien er fra September - October 2018-utgaven av Action Asia.
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Policing Paradise
Palau’s President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr has established his country in the vanguard of global efforts on ocean conservation, in particular with the 2015 designation of much of its territorial waters as a marine reserve and no-take zone. Policing this vast area though remains immensely challenging.
The Not-So-Silent World
Human activities may be emitting levels of noise that harm marine life.
Once Were Warriors
A visit to the 2018 World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan is a surreal trip to a time and place where martial skills matter.
The Secret Life Of Pangolins
PALAWAN – IT’S 1AM AND MOST PEOPLE are safely in their beds. Instead I’m deep in the jungles of Palawan with an international team of researchers and a squad of Philippine Marines, searching for pangolins, the most illegally trafficked mammals on Earth.
Feast Your Senses
The Alta Via 1 is the classic Dolomite trail, bringing the peaks within arm’s reach as you hike between homely refugios and historic war-time fortifications.
China's Olympians Show The Way
WITH 40 RIDERS FROM 12 COUNTRIES, THE KTA made its second visit to the Desaru Coast in Malaysia with its Asia Pacific Hydrofoil Tour Series , which welcomes amateur and professional riders a like . Chinese Youth Olympians Haoran Zhang and Jingle Chen took first places in the Men’s and Women’s classes, while Korean veteran Soon Ho Kwon was crowned champion in the Masters.
China's Masses Warming To Snow
TWO YEARS AGO, CHINA opened the world’s largest indoor ski slope with two black runs, a blue run, snow play area and beginner slopes all served by chairlifts and magic carpets. Interestingly, it choose to build this behemoth in Harbin, where real snow piles high every winter and temperatures plunge low enough to host the annual International Ice and Snow Festival.
A Quieter, Cleaner Everest In Store?
FOLLOWING RECORD deaths during the Everest climbing season earlier this year, Nepal’s government and the climbing community are suggesting a new list of preconditions for any summit attempt.
A Life List Of Adventure
There’s a first time for everything. But some firsts matter more: experiences that are life-altering, that change perspective, build confidence and teach you about all you can do and all you can be.
Virtual Reality As A Travel Sales Tool
Virtual Reality As A Travel Sales Tool
