Reductions in emissions from deforestation from Indonesia's moratorium on new oil palm, timber, and logging concessions.

ABSTRACT: To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, Indonesia instituted a nationwide moratorium on new license areas ("concessions") for oil palm plantations, timber plantations, and logging activity on primary forests and peat lands after May 2011. Here we indirectly evaluate the effectiveness of this policy using annual nationwide data on deforestation, concession licenses, and potential agricultural revenue from the decade preceding the moratorium. We estimate that on average granting a concession for oil palm, timber, or logging in Indonesia increased site-level deforestation rates by 17-127%, 44-129%, or 3.1-11.1%, respectively, above what would have occurred otherwise. We further estimate that if Indonesia's moratorium had been in place from 2000 to 2010, then nationwide emission

SUBMITTER: Busch J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4321246 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature