Indonesian forest loss surges by 66% in 2025, driven by Prabowo’s self-sufficiency drive

March 31, 2026 12:22 PM

Indonesian forest loss surges by 66% in 2025, driven by Prabowo’s self-sufficiency drive

Forest loss in Indonesia surged by 66% in 2025, hitting its highest rate in eight years as a result of weak environmental protections and an ambitious food and energy self-sufficiency drive, an environmental group said on Tuesday. The archipelago, made up of thousands of islands, has some of the world's thickest forests and most biodiverse regions, but it leans heavily on mining and palm plantations to support its $1.4 trillion economy, which is the biggest in Southeast Asia. Auriga Nusantara,...

Indonesians climb over logs in walk to aid centre as flood deaths exceed 900

December 7, 2025 3:35 PM

Indonesians climb over logs in walk to aid centre as flood deaths exceed 900

Residents in the Indonesian region of Aceh Tamiang climbed over slippery logs and walked for about an hour on Saturday to get aid, as the death toll from floods and landslides that hit Sumatra island this month reached more than 900. The number known to have died as a result of the cyclone-induced floods and landslides across three Indonesian provinces on Sumatra, including Aceh, was 916 on Saturday, with 274 listed as missing, government data showed. The storm systems also killed about 200 peo...

Indonesia’s Ibu volcano erupts twice, spewing red-hot lava

June 6, 2024 10:27 AM

Indonesia’s Ibu volcano erupts twice, spewing red-hot lava

Indonesia's Mount Ibu volcano erupted again on Thursday, firing red bright lava and rocks into the night sky and triggering a spectacular display of volcanic lightning, the country's volcanology agency PVMBG said. The 1,325 metre-high (4,347 ft) volcano on the eastern island of Halmahera erupted twice on Thursday, Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari an official at PVMBG told Reuters. The first eruption was at 1:30 a.m. local time, spewing incandescent lava and rocks as lightning flashes lit up its c...