Healthy Environment: A Luxury Deprived in the Name of Commercialization

Bintara Fajar Satya

Internship

10 May 2026 · 17:42 10 May 2026 17:42 WIB 5 minutes reading time: 5 minutes 2 read

Behind Indonesia's grandiose economic growth figures lies a dark reality that is often overlooked, namely, the unfettered exploitation of the environment.

Ilustrasi dari deforestasi hutan yang masif — deforestasi hutan yang dilakukan secara masif (Source: AI Gemini)

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Table of Contents

Massive defloration alert
Violation of Article 28H: Healthy Environment that becomes a Step item
The Unconscious Deprivation of Animals' Right to Life
Conclusion

Section 3/3: The Unconscious Deprivation of Animals' Right to Life

The Unconscious Deprivation of Animals' Right to Life

Environmental degradation does not only affect human survival, but has far-reaching consequences, one of which is the richness of biodiversity. Data taken from Burung Indonesia released on April 3, 2026 shows, of the 1,834 bird species that inhabit the archipelago, 159 species are now globally threatened with extinction. [3] This threat is dominated by massive land changes and utilization. The assessment of the threat status of bird species shows that the three most frequent sources of pressure are agriculture (including plantations), aquaculture, hunting and capture of terrestrial animals, logging, and massive residential/commercial development. This is a clear disregard for Law No. 32 of 2024 on the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Ecosystems, which explicitly mandates that conservation is an absolute obligation to maintain the sustainability of the environment's carrying capacity[4]

Not only birds, but one of Indonesia's endemic animals that is threatened with extinction is the Sumatran orangutan. As a result, orangutans are now the only animals that can be found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are starting to lose their habitat due to deforestation, especially caused by clearing forests for industrial purposes and oil palm plantations. According to Discover Magazine, this animal will be extinct within 10 years. Only around 14,000 Sumatran orangutans remain and less than 800 Tapanuli orangutans remain. Due to the population decline, both species are on the IUCN red list of endangered species. [5]

Conclusion

Making environmental damage an issue of violating human rights or flora and fauna is a crucial step towards demanding greater accountability. The state can no longer be just a "gatekeeper" for the interests of rogue parties.

It is time for exploitative policies to be stopped and environmental law enforcement to be tightened. Protecting the environment is no longer just an ethical choice, but a constitutional obligation to ensure the right to a healthy and dignified life for citizens. If the environment is destroyed, then other human rights are just promises that are impossible to fulfill.