Floods in Asia: Deadly consequences of uncontrolled deforestation

Overlapping tropical storms and strengthened monsoon systems have caused widespread devastation across Asia, with rescue teams still struggling to reach isolated survivors.

Days of record rainfall and storm surges caused catastrophic floods and landslides in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam last week. The death toll has now surpassed 1600, with hundreds still missing in the region.

The UN says the disaster is one of the deadliest weather events South and Southeast Asia has seen in years, reports Euronews.

Is deforestation to blame for deadly floods in Asia?

Although the collision of three tropical weather systems, including cyclones Ditva and Senyar, was likely fueled by climate change, conservationists warn that uncontrolled deforestation has also exacerbated the tragedy.

More rain is expected across Indonesia in the coming days, one of the hardest-hit regions, with North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh likely to be hit, as residents there are still recovering from the floods, struggling with severe food shortages and access to clean water.

WALHI, the country's largest and oldest environmental NGO, says the disaster is caused by "growing ecological vulnerability" due to changes in important ecosystems and is exacerbated by the climate crisis.

"This disaster is not just a natural phenomenon, but an environmental catastrophe caused by government policies that are negligent and tolerant. These recurring floods are the result of increasing deforestation, the expansion of palm oil extraction, and illegal gold mining that has been allowed to spread unchecked," says Ahmad Soilhin of WALHI Aceh.

Deforestation in Indonesia

From 2016 to 2025, 1,4 million hectares in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra were deforested by more than 600 companies. These forests were cut down for a variety of reasons, including mining permits, palm oil plantations, and permits for geothermal and hydroelectric power.

There are 954 watersheds in Aceh. According to WALHI, 60% of them are located in forest areas, and 20 are critical. However, the majority of them have suffered significant deforestation. For example, the Krueng Trumon River watershed covers an area of ​​over 50,000 hectares, but in recent years almost half (43%) has suffered a loss of forest cover. Now, less than 31,000 hectares remain.

How can forests help protect countries from floods?

Forests are vital to flood management, effectively acting like giant sponges that slow down water flow and reduce the volume of runoff.

Trees can evaporate more water than any other type of vegetation and are considered one of the best natural defenses against flooding. Researchers from the University of British Columbia say that deforestation (where every tree is removed) not only increases the risk of flooding - it can amplify it several times over.

In a study published earlier this year, scientists found that in certain watersheds, floods became up to 18 times more frequent and more than twice as severe after logging. These effects can last for more than four decades.