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JAKARTA, April 21 (Reuters) - Indonesian farmer Albertus Wawan hopes a new government regulation means the small plot of land where he grows palm oil trees in a forest reserve on Borneo may be recognised as a legal plantation and eligible to access funding.
But the hopes of thousands of smallholders like Wawan for the acceptance of their farms inside designated forest areas is alarming green groups and comes at time when palm oil is under scrutiny in some Western countries for its links to deforestation.
The changes, part of President Joko Widodo’s sweeping liberalisation of regulations to boost Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, illustrate the trade-offs countries make to protect the environment or provide jobs to raise living standards.
Indonesia s new plantation rules renew conflict between jobs, environment thestar.com.my - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thestar.com.my Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Jakarta, Indonesia – In the centre of the vast Indonesian archipelago – hundreds of giant lizards roam Rinca Island.
The Komodo dragon – or Komodo monitor – is the world’s largest and heaviest lizard. Fossils indicate they have ancient origins dating back millions of years.
A recent study found the lizard might have actually evolved in Australia, but today the vulnerable animal can only be found in the wild in Indonesia – a source of pride for the locals who live alongside them.
The majority of the dragons live in the Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spread across three Indonesian islands that was first established in 1980.