Indonesia’s forest fires are emerging as a global threat and driving a public health emergency. Seen through the eyes of locals, ‘Forest fire families’ portrays the devastation the fires and smoky haze have on ordinary people.
Indonesia’s forests are the third largest in the world and its swamp-like peatlands are one of the world’s biggest carbon stores. But decades of forest clearance to make way for industrial scale plantations is creating a tinderbox.
Smoke from these fires add to air pollution and can be attributed to an average of 110,000 deaths per year. Business as usual cannot continue.
Nanang Sujana
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Since 2004, the lands and resin forests of the Toba Batak community of Ompu Ronggur have been cleared and replaced by eucalyptus plantations of pulp company PT Toba Pulp Lestari. This State-authorised land-grab and destruction of the community’s forests violates a range of international human rights instruments ratified by the Government of Indonesia, including ILO Convention 111.
Film by Nanang Sujana for Forest Peoples Programme
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These baby orangutans have lost their mothers, who would have taught them vital survival skills. This jungle school in Indonesia takes them in and prepares them for a life in the wild.
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