Deforestation is no longer an issue we can ignore. Year after year, the numbers keep rising. According to data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry, forest loss reached 121,100 hectares in 2023 and surged to 175,400 hectares in 2024.
Forests are vital for life on Earth. They absorb carbon, regulate the climate, and support biodiversity. Imagine what would happen if these roles continued to decline each year. Of course, extreme weather, landslides, and other natural disasters would become more frequent.
While preventing deforestation entirely may be difficult, we can still reduce its impact. One solution is transitioning to cleaner energy sources like LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). But how exactly can LNG help save our planet? Let’s find out.
Why Does Deforestation Happen?
Put simply, deforestation is the conversion of forested areas into non-forest land. In Indonesia, several key factors contribute to deforestation, including plantation expansion, forest fires, mining, and excessive natural resource extraction.
Another major driver is the high rate of logging, which leads to widespread forest loss. As forests are cleared to make way for agriculture, industry, and settlements, their vital ecological functions are stripped away.
Palm oil plantations are a major contributor to shrinking forests. Additionally, government-sponsored transmigration programs have led to the conversion of forest areas into residential zones.
Read More: 5 Signs of Global Warming: Its Symptoms Are Getting Worse
What Are the Dangerous Impacts of Deforestation?
Forests are home to complex ecosystems and play a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth. That’s why deforestation presents so many serious threats to ecological, social, and economic systems.
1. Loss of Biodiversity
Natural forest habitats are slowly being destroyed. Millions of plant and animal species are at risk of extinction as they lose their homes. The collapse of ecosystems threatens the delicate balance of nature.
This leads to long-term consequences for humans, such as food sources and medicinal plants becoming increasingly rare.
2. Worsening Climate Change
Forests act as natural carbon sinks. When they are destroyed, their ability to absorb carbon disappears, releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As a result, the planet warms up at an accelerated pace.
This is why deforestation is a major contributor to climate change and global warming. It also disrupts natural balance, leading to floods, landslides, droughts, and storms that put human lives at risk.
Read More: The Main Causes of Climate Change and Its Devastating Impact on Earth
3. Disrupted Water Sources
Forests help regulate the water cycle. Without them, rainwater can no longer be absorbed into the ground properly. This leads to higher surface runoff, which causes floods during rainy seasons and severe droughts during dry ones.
4. Landslides and Soil Erosion
Deforestation increases the risk of landslides and erosion, especially in mountainous regions where tree roots stabilize the soil. When trees are cut down, the soil loses its cohesion and becomes vulnerable to rain, making landslides more likely.
Read More: The Process of Global Warming: From the Beginning to Its Impact
5. Socioeconomic Impacts
Communities that depend on forests for their livelihoods lose vital resources when forests are cleared. This results in economic hardship, both immediate and long-term. Wider socioeconomic consequences include forced migration, social conflict, economic losses, environmental degradation, and disruptions in tourism and global trade.
6. Rise in Zoonotic Diseases
As deforestation destroys animal habitats, wildlife is forced to move closer to human settlements. This increases the risk of zoonotic diseases, illnesses transmitted from animals to humans.
When wild animals lose their homes, they start searching for food and shelter in urban areas, raising the risk of new disease outbreaks.
7. Changes in Local Climate
Beyond global impacts, deforestation also alters microclimates at the local level. It can change wind patterns, raise local temperatures, and reduce humidity. Forests help balance atmospheric carbon and prevent excessive warming. When they disappear, this natural regulation breaks down, speeding up the effects of global warming.
Read More: Why the Energy Crisis Poses a Serious Threat to the Global Economy?
How LNG Can Help Mitigate the Effects of Deforestation?
With deforestation already occurring at massive scales, we must now face its consequences, chief among them, the rise in atmospheric carbon emissions that fuel climate change and global warming.
To prevent emissions from getting worse, one of the most strategic steps we can take is switching to lower-emission energy sources, like LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
Coal and petroleum combustion are among the top contributors to high carbon emissions. In the midst of a deforestation crisis, continuing to rely on these “dirty” energy sources only accelerates environmental damage.
LNG, on the other hand, is a cleaner transitional fuel. It produces about 50% less carbon dioxide than coal when burned, making it a far more sustainable option.
That’s why many developed countries have made LNG a key part of their clean energy policies. Its flexibility and low-emission profile make LNG a powerful bridge toward a greener energy future.
References:
- Kementerian Kehutanan. Accessed 2025. Hutan dan Deforestasi Indonesia Tahun 2024
- IEC. Accessed 2025. Mengenal Deforestasi: Penyebab, 5 Bahaya dan Dampaknya
- Forest Digest. Accessed 2025. Dampak Deforestasi Terhadap Kita
- Solar Industri. Accessed 2025. Mengenal Lingkungan sebagai Gas Alam Ramah Lingkungan
