Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Earth Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Geosciences

Advisor/Mentor

Peter, Brad

Committee Member

Fung, Cadi

Second Committee Member

Chapman, Kate

Third Committee Member

Hall, Kevin

Abstract

In the past decades, Southeast Asia has faced one of the highest urbanization rates globally, with land conversion, agricultural land abandonment, and deforestation occurring simultaneously. High population growth rates and migration away from rural areas have also led to increased food insecurity, which has increased the need for agricultural production. In Indonesia, high rates of urbanization on the island of Java have historically prompted governmental policy solutions aimed at population redistribution and agricultural extensification (rather than intensification). The cost of this conversion of lands to agriculture often falls on the environment, with peatlands and forested lands being converted to large-scale farms. This leads to myriad environmental problems, as peatlands are important carbon stores, and their disruption can lead to emergent climate disasters. This thesis proposes to address the question: What are the socioeconomic and biophysical drivers of agricultural land conversion, deforestation, and urbanization in Indonesia? This research additionally proposes to, through bibliometric analyses, (1) establish the historical context of agricultural land abandonment in Indonesia and (2) identify the scholarly interest in these issues across disciplines, time, and place. By identifying the trends in existing research regarding both the effects and impacts of agricultural land abandonment in Indonesia, gaps in knowledge and areas that require further investigation will be identified.

Keywords

agricultural land abandonment; Indonesia; urbanization; deforestation; land use change; food insecurity

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