Conservation at risk: study reveals threats in Indonesia

Hey, nature and adventure lovers! Today we enter amazing Indonesia, a country brimming with biodiversity and home to the largest rainforest in Southeast Asia and more than 17,500 islands, but not all is rosy in this natural paradise. Bold scientists, those brave ones who study the region’s species and ecosystems, are being blocked and banned in Indonesia. Yes, as you can hear! Those guys who are trying to protect endangered wildlife are being sabotaged! What madness, my friends!

Scientist William F. Laurance, an expert on tropical environmental issues, has been struggling in this jungle of constraints for more than a decade. According to him, if we take a look at a heat map of the Earth and locate the endangered species, Indonesia is off the list. What a way to go unnoticed! These environmentalists decided to raise their voices and raise awareness about conservation issues in Indonesia. During their time in the region, they have witnessed multiple cases where governments and corporations have impeded the investigation.

In 2022, oh yes, five leading conservation researchers were denied work in Indonesia on the grounds of “negative intent” and wanting to “discredit the government.” As it turns out, these researchers were trying to shed light on forest conservation and wildlife management in Sumatra, and as if that weren’t enough, their Indonesian colleagues refused to collaborate for fear of losing funding, research permits, and business opportunities. What a mess, guys!

There seems to be a real climate of fear and repression around scientific research in Indonesia, but all is not lost, my friends. Laurance and her team have some brilliant suggestions for protecting environmental research and those who carry it out. They recommend that organizations that fund research in the region demand transparency in the data of the studies they support. They also suggest the use of online “safe houses” and anonymous journals to protect the identity of researchers and avoid negative consequences. It’s time to get creative to protect our science heroes!

You are not alone in this battle my dear readers, scientific suppression is not unique to Indonesia my friends. It is a global problem that must be faced, scientists have a responsibility to communicate what is happening in the world and we need to find a way to obtain information, even when facing difficulties. So here we are, delivering the message that conservation in Indonesia is in serious trouble. We stand with these brave scientists and hope that they will soon be able to carry out their important work without restraint or fear. Cheer up, guys! Nature and the world depend on you.