Indonesian forestry experts and environmentalists fear that areas of East Kalimantan are turning into a desert.
Beds of white sand, known as “krangas”, have been reported in thinning forests and housing areas. The phenomenon is believed to have started in the early 1990s when the forest products trade was booming.
The region’s Co-ordinating Body for Natural Resources Protection believes local people should be given a bigger role in forest management instead of timber companies.
