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Budget cuts caused by the coronavirus crisis have forced Indonesia to reduce fire patrols and protection for some of the world's most important forests, the environment ministry said recently.
Indonesia's forests are some of the biggest in the world. They are home to more than a tenth of the world's mammal species and nearly a fifth of its birds. And the cuts come ahead of the worst season for fires.
Indonesia is also the world's top producer of palm oil. Fires, often set to clear land for palm oil plantations, were very damaging in 2019.
It is still too early in the dry season, when most land is cleared, to get a clear picture of what will happen this year. But a careful study of satellite information shows about 400,000 hectares were cleared in the first 24 weeks of 2020. In the same time period last year, 300,000 hectares were cleared.
Environmental officials said that the coronavirus outbreak is affecting the country's economy. Nearly $50 billion is being sent to health emergency programs. This led to a 50 percent budget cut for the team that finds and puts out fires. At the same time, people who lost their jobs during the health crisis are clearing land for crops using fires. And in some areas, social distancing rules are making it harder to fight fires.
President Joko Widodo called for the tough enforcement of laws in order to stop illegal fires. And the environment and forest minister told parliament recently that an extra $35 million was needed to fight forest fires this year.
Environmentalists agreed the budget cuts could have bad results.
"There is a real risk of another ecological and health disaster in 2020," said Kiki Taufik, head of Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest campaign.
I'm John Russell.
Fathin Ungku and Bernadette Christina reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
