Which Way Forward

Indonesia contains some of Asia's most biodiverse and threatened forests. The challenges result from both long-term management problems and the political, social, and economic turmoil of the past few years. The contributors to "Which Way Forward?" explore recent events in Indonesia, while focusing on what can be done differently to counter the destruction of forests due to asset-stripping, corruption, and the absence of government authority. Contributors to the book include anthropologists, economists, foresters, geographers, human ecologists, and policy analysts. Their concerns include the effects of government policies on people living in forests, the impact of the economic crisis on small farmers, links between corporate debt and the forest sector, and the fires of the late 1990s. By analyzing the nation's dramatic circumstances, they hope to demonstrate how Indonesia as well as other developing countries might handle their challenges to protect biodiversity, meet human needs, and deal withpolitical change. The book includes a foreword by Emil Salim, former Indonesian Minister of State for Population and the Environment and former president of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme. "On economic and social justice grounds, as well as for biodiversity conservation and environmental management, this is a rare and extremely useful analysis of forestry issues, given growing domestic and international concern over the status of Indonesia's forests." -- Larry Fisher, Cornell University"An original contribution to understanding the obstacles and opportunities for achieving forest policy reform in Indonesia and elsewhere." -- Paul K. Gellert, CornellUniversityA copublication of Resources for the Future and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). A copublication of Resources for the Future, the Center forInternational Forestry Research (CIFOR), and the I