In Indonesia, deforestation is intensifying disasters from severe weather and climate change

A man walks past a log swept into a neighborhood affected by a flash flood in Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, March 10, 2024. In Indonesia, environmental groups continue to point to deforestation and environmental degradation worsening the effects of natural disasters such as floods, landslides, drought and forest fires. (AP Photo/Mavendra JR)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP): Roads turned to murky brown rivers, homes were swept away by strong currents and bodies were pulled from mud during deadly flash floods and landslides after torrential rains hit West Sumatra in early March, marking one of the latest deadly natural disasters in Indonesia.

Government officials blamed the floods on heavy rainfall, but environmental groups have cited the disaster as the latest example of deforestation and environmental degradation intensifying the effects of severe weather across Indonesia.