Indonesia has a special forest that is not many other countries have, namely tropical forests. This makes Indonesia is a rich country but like a double-edged ax. One side of this wealth can prosper the community through stored economic potential, but the other side can endanger the society through the threat if not managed properly.

In addition to support biodiversity and forest-dependent communities, tropical rain forests play a vital role in the global climate with their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, a gas that experts believe causes global warming. Forest trees can absorb carbon sequestration and convert it to oxygen through photosynthesis. The carbon absorbed will be converted into carbon sink and at the same time will be stored in the system as carbon stock. Tropical rain forests are the best carbon-gas absorber compared to other ecosystems. Tropical rainforests also play a role in managing local weather by creating rain and regulating temperature.

In addition, tropical rain forests have a good ability to absorb and store water that can be used as a buffer from global flood and drought. When the rainy season arrives, tropical rainforest can reduce water runoff in abundance through crown stratification so that most of the water remains in the ecosystem. When the dry season arrives, the lack of water can be covered from the reserves obtained in the rainy season.

With a forest area of ​​about 109 million hectares in 2003, Indonesia?s tropical rainforest is the third largest in the world, after Brazil and Congo. But from the remaining forest area, almost half of it is degraded. In 1997-2000, Indonesia's forest degradation reached 2.8 million hectares/year. Meanwhile, the rate of it in 2000-2005 is equivalent to 364 soccer fields/hour, and in 2003-2011 reached 0.82 million hectares/year.

Deforestation occurs due to various factors that sprout forests as the basis of the fulfillment of human needs. Based on the records of environmental organizations WWF, the biggest factors that cause deforestation include: conversion of forests into agricultural land, illegal logging, forest fires, and firewood usage. To meet the need for food and energy as the human population continues to swell, the forests are converted to new gardens and stock husbandries on a massive scale. The increasing demand for international timber, almost 50% is met through illegal harvesting of timber in natural forests. In addition, forest fires contribute the most deforestation compared to other factors. The use of wood for fuel is also significant cause of deforestation. CIFOR, the international forest research center adds causes of deforestation are poverty and population pressures, as people search for cultivating land, wood fuel and building materials. On the other hand, infrastructure development, particularly roads, mining and dams have contributed to the high rate of deforestation in Indonesia.

Deforestation occurs both in temperate forests and in tropical rainforests. But the world is very worried about the massive rate of tropical rainforests deforestation due to the forest serves as a buffer of life on earth rich in biodiversity and become the largest reservoir of biomass. Tropical forest damage is responsible for one-fifth of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, more than the accumulated emissions generated by trains, planes and cars worldwide.

The most egregious impact of deforestation is global climate change. Deforestation has a major impact on climate change in two ways. First, encroachment and forest burning release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Deforestation makes the carbon that originally stored in trees to be carbon dioxide emissions. This happens quickly when the tree is burned and runs slowly when it naturally decomposed. Second, forest destruction will reduce the area of ​​forest that absorbs carbon dioxide. Both roles are very important to fight against climate change.

As an archipelagic country, Indonesia is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The World Bank estimates the significant impacts of climate change for Indonesia are: rising global temperatures, higher rainfall and shorter rainy seasons are altering water and energy balance, sea level rise, threats of food security and declining agricultural productivity and fisheries, threats to biodiversity and coral bleaching. In addition, the world is faced with more frequent and large floods, droughts, famines and the collapse of ecosystems such as the Amazon forest, extinction of 20-50% of all living species and rising sea levels due to melting ice.

Scientists have warned that global temperature rise should be below 2?C than before the industrial revolution to avoid the effects of more severe climate change. A warmer Earth 2?C will change the life we ​​live in today. An environmental organization, Greenpeace claim to get the best chance in maintaining temperature rise below 2^oC, greenhouse gas emissions must peak in 2015 then have to decline dramatically.

Indonesia is committed to undergoing a low-emission and climate resilience in the future that is decomposed in Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Indonesia considers the need for comprehensive land-based and marine adaptation and mitigation measures as a strategic consideration in achieving climate resilience related to food, water and energy. In the land-based sector, REDD + or reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing carbon stocks in developing countries is an important component of Indonesia's NDC targets. Indonesia's Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL) for REDD + covering deforestation and forest degradation and peat decomposition is set at 0.568 GtCO₂e/year for the Above Ground Biomass carbon pool until 2020. However the deforestation rates in Indonesia still high.

Indonesia needs to develop the technique for farming crops, forestry, and livestock husbandries in existing areas to be more productive. High productivity will lead to the fulfillment of needs without opening new land that from forest. Thus, deforestation rates can be suppressed and climate change concerns can little be overcame. This effort needs active collaboration from all sector and all participants for Indonesian forest to survive for climate change.