By Elizabeth Kahurani, ASB Communications Officer
Indonesia is home to the third largest area of tropical forest in the world and is seen to be the leader in carbon emissions due to high deforestation rates. The Government of Indonesia has clearly demonstrated commitment and leadership to reduce emissions from forests through its national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) policy. However, more needs to be done as new evidence from the Alternatives to Slash and Burn (ASB) Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins shows that the highest risk for loss of woody vegetation and associated carbon emissions is posed by areas which are actually outside areas defined as forests. This evidence calls for a whole landscape approach that is all inclusive. To demonstrate how crucial this is, ASB scientists introduce the concept of time limit for a Business as Usual Scenario and show how forest and non-forest time limit interact.
