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Decades of forest loss hit home: Future cyclones could batter Indonesia harder, analysts warn
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An aerial view shows a damaged area hit by deadly flash floods in Palembayan, West Sumatra province, on Nov 30.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Cyclone Senyar triggered floods/landslides in Sumatra, killing 700+ and displacing a million, revealing vulnerability from deforestation.
- Sumatra lost more than 9 million ha of forest (1990-2024), largely due to oil palm expansion; illegal logging exacerbates the flood risk.
- President Subianto pledged aid, but analysts urge land-use reform, forest protection, and stronger law enforcement to prevent future disasters.
AI generated
JAKARTA – Whole villages vanished almost overnight when Cyclone Senyar veered towards the Malacca Strait in late November, unleashing torrents that tore through riverbanks and sheared off hillsides across Indonesia’s Sumatra island.
Families were trapped in mudslides, homes swept away and rivers overflowed into communities.
