HKDSE Geography/M6/Settlement

Many rainforest countries establish settlements in rainforests to ease population pressure in more densely-populated urban areas. An example is Indonesian transmigration. The tree canopy disappears to make way for urban expansion. Many countries build transport networks in rainforests to improve accessibility. This encourages economic growth and investment in the area. This is dangerous to the rainforest because by dividing the rainforest into fragmented portions, the ecological integrity of it is destroyed. Roads also give access to corporations and locals who may exploit rainforest resources thanks to the increase in accessibility.