Now, congested traffic, followed by smog can be found every day. Bad air quality is the source of upper respiratory problems in cities like Jakarta. It is the second killer of children under five years old in Jakarta alone. It contributes to 12 per cent overall death. Seventy per cent of ground water in South Jakarta was contaminated by ammonia, bacteria coli, and other toxic waste.
Environmental degradation is estimated to be increasing due to economic crisis.
People who lost their job in the cities returned home and participated in looting timber from state owned forests, especially in Java. Logging companies, in their attempt to cut costs, stop logging but buy logs from illegal cutting. It is cheaper that way. To get the economy going again, we have no choice except selling and exploiting our natural resources, meaning minerals, forests and marine and agriculture resources. Our manufacturing has collapsed and in the few that have survived further deterioration of the environment can be expected.