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Indonesia

Indonesia is a former Dutch colony of over 17,000 islands in Southeast Asia/Oceania. Home to the world's largest population of Muslims and the fourth most populous country on the planet, Indonesia is vastly diverse, both ethnically and culturally.

While Indonesia's economy has been strengthening in recent years after the Asian financial crisis of 1998, over half of the population is affected by poverty. Indonesia's proximity to the equator and large number of active volcanoes means natural disasters are frequent and devastating.

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Development Issues

Socio-economic issues
Health issues
Environmental issues

Socio-economic issues

Indonesia's record in reducing poverty from the mid 1970s to the time of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 was exceptional. From a country with widespread poverty, it rose to the ranks of a middle-income country in two decades. However, the multi-dimensional crisis that has afflicted Indonesia since late 1997 has resulted in the reversal of human development achievements, and UN and World Bank statistics indicate that 27 per cent of Indonesians now live in poverty.

One of the reasons for Indonesia's recent economic problems is its high debt levels. According to an independent analysis by JP Morgan, Indonesia has an unpayable level of debt, but due to its status as a 'developing' nation, is ineligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative. Such a high level of debt is predicated on low levels of public spending, and the Government of Indonesia spends 500 per cent more on debt servicing than it does on health and education services combined.

Combined with issues of weak governance and public administration, the Indonesia community faces key challenges in overcoming poverty, and establishing equitable and just development.

For up-to-date information and statistics on socio-economic development issues in Indonesia, please refer to the following sources: 
UNDP Indonesia
UNDP Human Development fact sheet (HDI information and statistics)

Health issues

While the national HIV infection level in Indonesia is low compared to some other countries (it is 0.1 per cent), its large population means there are many Indonesians living with HIV. The spectre of HIV/AIDS impacts on the healthcare system already run down by economic crises and inadequate resource allocation. For a country like Indonesia, where there is only one doctor for every 7692 people and one nurse for every 1612 (2003), this is especially true. Further, HIV/AIDS, along with increased poverty and food insecurity, adds to the high workload of available health workers. Unsurprisingly, brain drain from the public sector is also an aggravating factor with about a quarter of the doctors in private practice, inaccessible to the most vulnerable.

For up-to-date information and statistics on HIV/AIDS in Indonesia and in general, please refer to the following sites: 
WHO Indonesia country profile
UNAIDS page on Indonesia

Environmental issues

Two decades of rapid economic development, significant population expansion, and regulatory neglect have placed much of Indonesia's environment in jeopardy.

Illegal logging of Indonesia's forests is one of the largest problems facing the country. This problem derives from the relative poverty of much of Indonesia's population, the abundance of timber (Indonesia contains 10 percent of the world's forest cover, and has the third largest tropical rain forest) and the weakness of enforcement.

Air pollution is perhaps Indonesia's most severe environmental problem. It has very a serious impact on public health. For example, inflammation of the respiratory tract, which is directly linked to air quality, is the sixth leading cause of death in the country.

Indonesia's water quality is also deteriorating. One of the most serious problems is the lack of sewerage systems in urban areas. The Indonesia Environment Monitor notes that Indonesia ranks among the worst countries in Asia in sewerage and sanitation coverage.

For further information, please refer to the following resources: 
Energy Information Administration, Indonesia: Environmental Issues