Forests gain from cash payments to cut poverty in Indonesia

The Southeast Asian nation, which is home to the world's third-largest tropical forests, is also the top global producer of palm oil - which generates millions of jobs but is blamed by environmentalists for forest loss and fires.

KUALA LUMPUR: A social protection scheme to help poor Indonesians living in rural areas by giving them cash also reduced deforestation by 30%, researchers said on Friday, fuelling hope that efforts to tackle poverty and protect forests can work in tandem.

The study analysed Indonesia's national anti-poverty programme - which transfers money to poor households that follow health and education guidelines - looking at about 7,500 forest villages that received money from 2008 to 2012.