Between danger and opportunity: Indonesia and forests in an era of economic crisis and political change

Policies aiming to improve the conservation and management of tropical fore sts are often based on the assumption of political and economic stability. Yet some of the most important changes in conditions affecting tropical for ests can occur when the political and economic climate changes in an abrupt , unpredicted, and largely uncontrolled manlier. This fact is illustrated t hrough preliminary, largely mediabased documentation of changes underway in Indonesia. It is unclear, as yet, whether the effects of the sudden transf ormations on the forest sector in this country will be largely positive or negative.