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Executive Summary
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The wild orangutan population has declined by up to 50% in the last
decade. It is estimated that only 15-25 000 orangutans survive in the wild. Over
80% are confined to Indonesian territory on Borneo and Sumatra.
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The primary threat to orangutan survival is habitat destruction. Up to 80%
of orangutans' forest habitat has been lost over the past 20 years. Other
threats include the pet trade, poaching for food and human-animal conflict.
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Political and economic corruption and nepotism have resulted in the
massive over-exploitation of Indonesia's forests.
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Strong economic incentives exist in Indonesia to encourage unsustainable forest management.
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The major causes of forest loss are commercial logging operations, land
conversion for plantations - in particular palm oil - mega-development projects,
agriculture and forest fires.
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Land conversion for plantations and by logging interests are the major
cause of the fires between 1997-98.
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Over 70% of Indonesia's "frontier forests" (containing original ecological
features) have been lost. The country is losing around one million hectares of
forests each year.
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Enforcement of legislation to protect forests in Indonesia is totally
inadequate.
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There is a compelling argument for the new regime in Indonesia to adopt
new policies which fully incorporate environmental, social and economic
sustainability into forest policy.
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Governments, international banks and agencies, including the International
Monetary Fund, World Bank and Asian Development Bank and private investors must
ensure strict environmental, social and economic conditions are attached to
their lending to avoid further deforestation and unsustainable forest
management.
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