Forest, people sacrificed in Sebangau
Despite being designated a national park in 2004, the Sebangau forest in Indonesia continues to suffer from illegal deforestation and agricultural encroachment. Indigenous Dayak communities are losing their ancestral lands as the forest is exploited for global supply chains.
Why it matters
It highlights the failure of conservation policies in protecting critical biodiversity hotspots and the ongoing struggle for indigenous land rights against corporate interests.
After years of destruction, Sebangau forest was named a national park with the goal of protecting it from further deforestation. More than 20 years later, forest degradation is still happening inside the park’s borders from agriculture and mining, raising questions about authorities’ efforts to preserve nature.
The article reports on environmental degradation and social conflict using factual observations and indigenous perspectives without overt political spin.
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