State-Approved Deforestation Blamed for Sumatra Disasters, PHLI Says

December 22, 2025 | 05:15 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Environmental Law Society (PHLI) says the hydro-meteorological disasters that hit Sumatra in late November were not caused solely by illegal logging, but were also exacerbated by deforestation carried out under government-issued permits.

“Deforestation that triggered flash floods and landslides in Sumatra was not only the result of illegal logging, but is also suspected to have come from legally permitted logging activities,” PHLI representative Edra Satmaidi said during a virtual press conference on Sunday, December 22, 2025.

Weak Oversight of Forest Utilization

Edra said both the central and regional governments continue to issue permits for forest area utilization, while oversight of permit holders remains weak. This, he argued, has created space for large-scale forest degradation.

He added that such practices often ignore the rights of communities directly affected by deforestation and environmental damage. According to Edra, a law lecturer at Bengkulu University, this pattern has persisted for years without meaningful change.

“The indiscriminate issuance of permits undermines environmental protection and sustainability,” he said.

PHLI pointed to the government’s post-disaster plan to strengthen law enforcement in Sumatra, including revoking at least 22 problematic Forest Product Utilization Business Permits nationwide. The affected areas are estimated to cover more than 1 million hectares, with over 10 percent located in Sumatra.

While welcoming the move, Edra warned that enforcement alone would be ineffective without a comprehensive review of forest land-use policies.

State Accountability Under Environmental Law

He stressed that law enforcement does not absolve the government of responsibility for past deforestation, particularly given the number of permits issued in protected forest areas.

“The government must also be held accountable for failing to properly evaluate and supervise the permits it has issued,” Edra said. “As a result, companies holding these permits have been able to destroy forests freely and without control.”

Edra cited Article 2 of Indonesia’s 2009 Environmental Protection and Management Law, which assigns responsibility for environmental governance to the state.

“The state has an obligation to protect its citizens by issuing forest permits prudently, evaluating and supervising their implementation, and enforcing the law,” he said.

Floods and landslides have affected three provinces in Sumatra—Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra—since late November 2025. While the disasters were triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar, environmental groups believe extensive forest degradation significantly worsened their impact.

Activists’ Findings on Deforestation in Aceh

Environmental activists say their findings support the link between deforestation and the flash floods that struck Aceh.

One day before flooding hit Beutong Ateuh on November 26, Apel Green Aceh reported discovering approximately 30 cubic meters of logs in Babah Suak Village, an area connecting protected forests within the Leuser Ecosystem and Ulu Masen.

Apel Green Aceh director Syukur Tadu said the discovery of meranti logs in the remote area marked the second such finding in 2025, following an earlier case in May in Blang Puuk Village, Nagan Raya.

Data from Aceh Natural Forest and Environment (HAkA) show that the regency lost 5,127 hectares of forest cover between 2018 and 2024, with the largest annual loss recorded in 2024 at 1,052 hectares.

Long-Term Forest Loss in Aceh

Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) Executive Director Mufti Barri said the disaster in Aceh reflects long-term forest degradation across Sumatra.

“Past environmental damage is repeatedly used by the government as an excuse to evade responsibility,” he said in a written statement on December 4, 2025. “Instead of blaming the past, the government should focus on improving current environmental conditions.”

FWI data show that Aceh has lost approximately 177,000 hectares of forest over the past seven years, including about 16,000 hectares in 2024 alone.

Defara Dhanya contributed to the writing of this article.

Read: Indonesia Says Flood-Hit Businesses Will Not Automatically Get Loan Waivers

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