The researchers observed much more illegal trade in plants than the trade volumes reported by the government. They found that virtually none of the international trade they observed during their field surveys appear in official databases, conservation action plans, or government policies, even though the trade is occurring openly at public markets across the region. “In this case, we’ve simply turned a blind eye to plant trade and botanical conservation”, says Phelps, who is currently with the Center for International Forestry Research in Indonesia. “This research highlights a common problem in the illegal wildlife trade—the invisibility of trades that have not been researched and are not recognized in official government databases.”

The ecological disaster has inflicted a staggering toll on the region’s environment, economy and human health: 2.1 million hectares (8,063 sq. miles) of forests and other land burned, 21 deaths, more than half a million people sickened with respiratory problems and $9 billion in economic losses, from damaged crops to hundreds of canceled flights. Greed is the cause. Herry Purnomo, a scientist at Center for International Forestry Research, said it costs just $7 to clear a hectare of land by burning, compared to $150 to do so with tractors. Indonesian law bans clearing land by burning, except by small-scale farmers who are allowed up to 2 hectares.

The fires have also sent enormous amounts of greenhouse-gas emissions into the air. Much of the forests lost were peatland, which stores a particularly large amount of carbon. Research by the Center for International Forestry Research, or CIFOR, found that in 2012, forest fires in Riau province alone released between 1.5 billion and 2 billion tons of carbon emissions in just one week — up to 10 percent of Indonesia’s total annual emissions, said Sofyan Kurnianto, a scientist with the group and the lead author of the study.

Bencana ekologis tersebut telah menghasilkan kerugian besar bagi lingkungan, ekonomi dan kesehatan manusia. Keserakahan adalah penyebabnya. Herry Purnomo, ilmuwan dari Pusat Riset Kehutanan Internasional (CIFOR), mengatakan hanya perlu biaya sekitar Rp 100 ribu untuk membuka satu hektar lahan dengan membakar, dibandingkan dengan Rp 2 juta jika menggunakan traktor. Undang-undang Indonesia melarang pembukaan lahan dengan membakar, kecuali oleh petani skala kecil yang diizinkan sampai 2 hektar. 

Vietnam is a major exporter of not only wood fiber intermediates, like wood chips for paper production, but also finished goods like furniture. According to a report written by the Center for International Forestry Research, Vietnam is the second largest furniture exporter in Asia, trailing only China. This $2.5 billion-per-year industry requires a massive amount and variety of roundwood, more than Vietnam can provide from its own stocks.

Pemerintah Amerika Serikat (AS) melalui Badan Pembangunan Internasional Amerika Serikat (USAID) dan Center for International Forestry (CIFOR) mencanangkan sebuah kemitraan untuk mengatasi masalah kritis lingkungan hidup terkait pengelolaan hutan dan perlindungan keragaman hayati. Kemitraan ini diwujudkan dalam bentuk kerja sama penelitian dan pemberian beasiswa bagi para calon pemimpin Indonesia untuk belajar di beberapa perguruan tinggi di AS.

Indonesia’s $9 billion estimate of the damage caused by the fires excludes emissions. Research by the Center for International Forestry Research, or CIFOR, found that in 2012, forest fires in Riau province alone released between 1.5 billion and 2 billion tons of carbon emissions in just one week — up to 10 percent of Indonesia’s total annual emissions, said Sofyan Kurnianto, a scientist with the group and the lead author of the study.

The fires have also sent enormous amounts of greenhouse-gas emissions into the air. Much of the forests lost were peatland, which stores a particularly large amount of carbon. Research by the Center for International Forestry Research, or CIFOR, found that in 2012, forest fires in Riau province alone released between 1.5 billion and 2 billion tons of carbon emissions in just one week — up to 10 percent of Indonesia’s total annual emissions, said Sofyan Kurnianto, a scientist with the group and the lead author of the study.