Patrick Mauritz Diaz, Age 29, Indonesia
Program of Study: Tropical Forestry
“I witnessed major conflicts between stakeholders in Indonesia caused by ongoing land-use change.
In August 2015, Jambi’s nomadic indigenous tribe ‘Suku Anak Dalam’ in Bukit 12 National Park had to leave the forest due to the thick and toxic haze caused by massive forest fires in the whole province. At the same time, oil palm and rubber smallholders in Batanghari region were constantly complaining about their low level of standards of living.
Unstable commodity price along with fire and haze crisis, which seems to be interminable, led them to seek extra income through unsustainable and ecologically devastating agricultural expansion.
These facts indicate that deforestation problem is complex and through the participation in GLF, I hope I can extend my knowledge and get more useful insights from practitioners and professionals to develop management schemes for tropical forest resources under the consideration of multiple ecosystem services as well as human well-being.”
**One of the top 10 submissions from our International Students’ Day Special Access Offer**
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