Orang utan faces extinction in five years - illegal logging, palm oil blamed

Global demand for tropical hardwood and palm oil, illegal hunting and the trade in exotic animals are driving the Orang utan to the brink of extinction. In a session titled 'Globalization and Great Apes' the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) earlier last month presented the report The Last Stand of the Orangutan - State of emergency: illegal logging, fire and palm oil in Indonesia's national parks.

The report says that natural rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo are being cleared so rapidly (map, click to enlarge) that up to 98% may be destroyed by 2022 without urgent action. The rate of loss, which has accelerated in the past five years, outstrips a previous UNEP report released in 2002 at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD). Back then, experts estimated that most of the suitable orangutan habitat would be lost by 2032.

Forest fire and deforestation in Indonesia are also resulting in substantial emissions of carbon dioxide, in addition to the decrease in habitat for Orangutan and other keystone species of the rain forests of Borneo and Sumatra. The smoke from the burning forests are spreading over Southeast Asia in the summers. As burnt forest areas are left open, they are commonly claimed for rubber and palm oil plantations, thus permanently reducing the available habitat.

Illegal logging has recently taken place in 37 of 41 surveyed national parks in Indonesia, with some also seriously affected by mining and oil palm plantation development. The use of bribery or armed force by logging companies is commonly reported. Timber from the Indonesian rain forests are exported to the international markets, primarily other locations in Asia, such as China and Japan, but also Europe and North America (map, click to enlarge).

In the export process, the illegal timber often undergoes re-labeling, in a way similar to money-laundering - the point of origin is changed and also the species - to avoid export restrictions. A cubic metre of prime hardwoods can amass over USD$ 1000 on the international markets:
biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: biodiversity :: orang utan :: deforestation :: illegal logging :: palm oil :: globalisation :: consumerism :: Indonesia :: Asia :: Europe :: North America ::

New satellite imagery reveals that the illegal logging is now entering a new critical phase: As the demands grow, the industry and international market are running out of cheap illegal timber and are now entering the national parks where the only remaining timber available in commercial amounts is found.

Satellite images confirm, together with data from the Indonesian Government, that illegal logging is now taking place in 37 out of 41 national parks, and likely growing. “At current rates of intrusions, it is likely that some parks may become severely degraded in as little as three to five years, that is by 2012”, says the new study “The last stand of the orangutan: State of emergency.”

Overall the report is concluding that loss of orangutan habitat is happening at a rate up to 30% higher than previously thought. The report, compiled by a wide range of experts, is being launched at UNEP’s 24th Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum. Here, close to 100 environmental ministers and state secretaries are meeting under the theme of globalization – environmental risks and opportunities

Indonesia is active in fighting illegal logging and has worked with a series of international programmes and initiatives to reduce the logging. However, says the report, while many of these initiatives are valuable, they require the assistance of the international community to stop the demands for illegal timber, and they are also mainly long/term in effect. In response, the Indonesian government has on several occasions in recent years directly used support from the Navy and Army to arrest, confiscate timber and drive companies out of the parks.

Recently, the Indonesian government has launched perhaps one of the most promising initiatives in recent years, namely the training of specially equipped ranger units (SPORC) to protect the parks.

Achim Steiner, UN Under Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: “Globalization is generating unprecedented wealth and lifting millions out of poverty. But in this case, the illegal logging is destroying the livelihoods of many local people dependent upon the forests while it is also draining the natural wealth of Indonesian forest resources by unsustainable practices. The logging at these scales is not done by individual impoverished people, but by well-organized elusive commercial networks“.

“National Parks form a cornerstone in the 2010 target to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss and are also so valuable for eco-tourism and in generating new livelihoods. Their protection is vital to these international goals and to the entire concept of protected areas”.

He called on governments and the international community to assist the Indonesian authorities with the equipment, training and particularly funding needed to enforce and patrol their national parks from illegal loggers.

H. E. Rachmat Witoelar, Indonesia’s environment minister and outgoing president of UNEP’s Governing Council, said; “We are currently in an unequal struggle over illegal logging, which in the medium to long-term could be won through certification processes. Such processes can help global consumers choose between sustainably produced wood and palm-oil products and those produced illegally and unsustainably”.

He said that the government was acting in the short term with counter measures including through the development of Ranger Quick response Units to counter illegal forest destruction. “However, the challenge of policing and enforcing Indonesia’s vast parks is immense and rangers have currently little access to ground vehicles, boats, arms, communications or aerial surveillance such as planes or helicopters. In 35 of our national parks we have over 2000 rangers but they have to patrol an area of over 100,000 km2”

The scale of illegal logging, including into national parks is likely to increase not only in Indonesia, but also in other parts of Asia, Africa and Latin-America. “The situation is now acute”, says Christian Nellemann, leader of the Response team. “The recent Indonesian initiatives on law enforcement will require the necessary scale, financial and logistical support in order to stop the extent of this illegal logging. If successful, the Indonesian experiences gained in the coming years may substantially improve our ability to protect national parks and fight illegal logging in other parts of the World“.

The authors conclude that the enforcement regime for protected areas on Borneo and Sumatra needs to be strengthened to curb these illegal activities. The Indonesian initiative of better training and equipment of park rangers, including the development of Ranger Quick Response Units (SPORC – Satuan Khusus Polisi Kehutanan Reaksi Cepat) is a promising countermeasure, but requires substantial strengthening to deal with the scale of the immediate problem.

The Last Stand of the Orangutan was prepared by a Rapid Response Team headed by Christian Nellemann of UNEP/GRID-Arendal. The team consisted of experts from UNEP/GRID-Arendal and UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre as a broad collaborative effort, involving contributors from the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forestry, Indonesia, and partners of the Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP).


Image 1: The distribution of Orangutan on Borneo is rapidly decreasing, as mankind is reducing the available habitat for the apes. The loss of forest, through logging, clearing and burning, means reduced opportunities for hiding and food collection. In addition, orangutans are hunted for food and to be held in captivity. Orangutan distribution on Borneo (Indonesia, Malaysia) The distribution of Orangutan on Borneo is rapidly decreasing, as mankind is reducing the available habitat for the apes. The loss of forest, through logging, clearing and burning, means reduced opportunities for hiding and food collection. In addition, orangutans are hunted for food and to be held in captivity. Source: Radday, M. 2007. 'Borneo Maps'. Cartographer/Designer, Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal.

Image 2: Exports of wood products from Indonesia, with final destinations such as China, Japan and North America. Almost three quarters of the wood end in destinations in Asia. In the black market, with illegal timber, the products are known to change country of origin and their labeling and classification as they are smuggled. Schroeder-Wildberg, E. Carius A. 2003. Illegal Logging, Conflict and the Business Sector in Indonesia. InWEnt-Capcity Building International. Cartographer/Designer Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal.

More information:
UNEP: Nellemann, C. Miles, L. Kaltenborn, B. P. Virtue, M. Ahlenius, H. (eds) (2007) The Last Stand of the Orangutan - State of emergency: illegal logging, fire and palm oil in Indonesia's national parks[*.pdf], UNEP/GRID-Arendal, Arendal, Norway.

The GLOBIO programme on biodiversity and human impacts (contributed with biodiversity scenario maps for Borneo and Sumatra) - this web-site also features the 2002 report Great Apes - the road head.

Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP) - a joint project with UNEP and UNESCO

World Atlas of Great Apes (from UNEP-WCMC)

Great Apes at UNEP-WCMC