What causes deforestation and land cover change in Riau Province, Indonesia

Riau has experienced massive forest conversion and the highest deforestation rate in Sumatra and the world. International and local level deforestation and land cover change studies in Riau already exist. However, understanding the drivers and actors behind this land cover change remains challenging, partly because the studies are spread across many domains and disciplines. We provide a literature review of 101 studies identifying the causes and actors of land cover change in Riau Province. Our review shows that oil palm and timber plantations are the most prominent direct causes. The lack of capacity and policy failures were the most prominent underlying causes of deforestation and land cover change. Our review also shows that companies and smallholders are the main actors in the direct causes. Central and local governments are the main actors in the underlying causes of deforestation and land cover change. Our literature review shows knowledge gaps that can be filled by classifying the causes and roles of actors in deforestation and land cover change.