Environmental and Social Impacts of Deforestation from Palm Oil Cultivation, Mining, and Logging in Indonesia (20102025): A Systematic Literature Review
Abstract
Deforestation in Indonesia is a major environmental and social challenge that is rapidly increasing, driven by palm oil plantations, mining, and logging. However, the existing literature remains fragmented and focuses on single drivers or regions. There are limited systematic literature reviews that have integrated both environmental and social impacts across all three drivers for the 2010-2025 period. This study analyzes and synthesizes that literature, aligned with Indonesia's major forest governance reforms. The systematic literature review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A search of the Scopus database identified 3,131 records, from which 191 studies met the eligibility and methodological quality criteria for analysis. The results indicate that Indonesia has lost an estimated 9.75 million ha of primary forest between 2010 and 2022. The other environmental impacts include carbon emissions from the forestry and agriculture sectors, which contribute about 73-75% of total national greenhouse gas emissions. Social impacts include land conflicts in nearly 20,000 villages, the displacement of up to 100,000 indigenous Papuans, and a 37-57% household income decline following land transfer. This study suggests the implementation of sustainable forest management and an inclusive decision-making process for indigenous people to address the root causes of deforestation and balance economic development and environmental conservation.