The Politics and Economics of Indonesia's Natural Resources

In this informative and essential book, a team of scholars and policy experts from both Indonesia and the larger international community review political and economic developments in post-Soeharto era Indonesia. Together, they consider the kinds of structures that would foster social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The fall of Soeharto in 1998 provided the impetus for the transformation of Indonesia's political system to one that is considerably more democratic and decentralized. But what has this meant for Indonesia's natural resources? The stakes for the nation and the international community are considerable. In physical and biological resources, Indonesia is a wealthy country. It is a world leader in mineral exports, its rainforests account for more than 50 percent of the tropical forests in Southeast Asia and more than 10 percent of the world's total, it has unique and extensive biodiversity resources,