Recent Trends in Illegal Logging and a Brief Discussion of Their Causes

Over the course of three years the ecological and socio-economic effects of illegal logging in a peat swamp forest contiguous with Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan were examined. This paper discusses the key findings as they relate to trends in illegal logging and illustrates some of the most critical factors driving this illicit activity. In 11 villages bordering the Park, census data was collected on population structure and sources of income. A subset of villagers was interviewed to gain more detailed information on the prosperity of loggers and non-loggers. From detailed interviews with 40 loggers mean annual income was estimated and an understanding of the methods used gained. In the forests adjacent to the Park 30 km of extraction trails and 1,200 stumps were measured in one logging network. Data from a more widespread survey of 20% of rivers around the park and a previous study of illegal logging were also evaluated. Study results indicate that 47% of households rely on logging for their primary source of cash income, a 71.7% increase in seven years. Families participating were more likely to be poor than the average villager. Furthermore, loggers are felling more trees and working further from rivers than they did three years ago. From these results and over three years of experience in the region two main factors influencing the increase in illegal logging are identified: (1) easy access to forests, labor, markets and equipment; and (2) local and national economic factors.