POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - The five provinces which make up Indonesian Borneo are the greatest mega-hosts in the world of the critically-endangered Bornean orangutan. Large populations of this flagship species are found in the provinces’ conservation areas and protection forests, as well as their forestry and palm oil concessions.
Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya recently revealed that the country’s overall deforestation rate sank to an all time low during 2018/2019-2019/2020, as reported by FORESTHINTS.NEWS (Mar 3). This was also the case for Central Kalimantan, one of the Indonesian Borneo provinces substantially inhabited by Bornean orangutans.
Minister Nurbaya said the province’s deforestation rate sharply fell by 73.6% during 2018/2019-2019/2020, representing an extremely positive trend with regard to the habitat and population of Bornean orangutans.
“We always remain grateful that Indonesia continues to prove itself as home to the largest population of Bornean orangutans on earth,” she said in a discussion at the ministry complex (Mar 16).
“Our stance is to consistently maintain the trend of reduced deforestation at a certain level, while ensuring that no extinction of our various flagship species takes place. I make this guarantee with full confidence in the knowledge that it is backed up by clear evidence on a time-series basis,” she asserted.
The chart below shows the level of deforestation in Central Kalimantan - home to a significant population of Bornean orangutans - during 2018/2019-2020.
Meanwhile, the nationwide deforestation rate from 2011/2012 to 2019/2020 is demonstrated in the following chart, confirming the trend of considerable ongoing reduction in deforestation.
Mostly stable
Sebangau and Tanjung Puting National Parks in Central Kalimantan are two of the conservation areas which serve as major hosts to Bornean orangutans. Together they span more than 952 thousand hectares, or over 13 times the size of Singapore.
“Both these national parks are largely stable as the key habitats for Bornean orangutans in the province. In addition to the two conservation areas, protection forests and production landscapes (forestry and palm oil concessions), they also continue to play host to this critically-endangered species,” Minister Nurbaya explained.
She pointed out that both satellite and ground-based monitoring are still underway during the pandemic, as well as law enforcement efforts, underlining that there has been no decline in the ministry’s level of concern.
Land-based economic, environmental recovery efforts
She added that Indonesia continues to work hard at an optimal level in carrying out land-based economic recovery efforts aimed at creating as many new job opportunities as possible as part of attempts to lift Indonesia out of economic recession.
“These land-based economic recovery efforts, including those in various landscapes in the Indonesian Borneo provinces, are being undertaken along with reduced deforestation measures at a certain level, all of which are intended to prevent the potential extinction of Bornean orangutans using strict indicators,” she reaffirmed.
Indonesia, Minister Nurbaya continued, is also persisting with its work to restore degraded peatlands and accelerate mangrove rehabilitation as part of environmental and economic recovery, and also as a means to enhance job creation for communities.
“As much as 79% of environmental and forestry issues are directly linked to Indonesia’s key priority programs, including efforts to escape from minus economic growth as soon as possible and to increase public consumption as much as possible with these ongoing land-based economic and environmental recovery efforts,” she said in conclusion.
RELATED STORIES
POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - The five provinces which make up Indonesian Borneo are the greatest mega-hosts in the world of the critically-endangered Bornean orangutan. Large populations of this flagship species are found in the provinces’ conservation areas and protection forests, as well as their forestry and palm oil concessions.
Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya recently revealed that the country’s overall deforestation rate sank to an all time low during 2018/2019-2019/2020, as reported by FORESTHINTS.NEWS (Mar 3). This was also the case for Central Kalimantan, one of the Indonesian Borneo provinces substantially inhabited by Bornean orangutans.
Minister Nurbaya said the province’s deforestation rate sharply fell by 73.6% during 2018/2019-2019/2020, representing an extremely positive trend with regard to the habitat and population of Bornean orangutans.
“We always remain grateful that Indonesia continues to prove itself as home to the largest population of Bornean orangutans on earth,” she said in a discussion at the ministry complex (Mar 16).
“Our stance is to consistently maintain the trend of reduced deforestation at a certain level, while ensuring that no extinction of our various flagship species takes place. I make this guarantee with full confidence in the knowledge that it is backed up by clear evidence on a time-series basis,” she asserted.
The chart below shows the level of deforestation in Central Kalimantan - home to a significant population of Bornean orangutans - during 2018/2019-2020.
Meanwhile, the nationwide deforestation rate from 2011/2012 to 2019/2020 is demonstrated in the following chart, confirming the trend of considerable ongoing reduction in deforestation.
Mostly stable
Sebangau and Tanjung Puting National Parks in Central Kalimantan are two of the conservation areas which serve as major hosts to Bornean orangutans. Together they span more than 952 thousand hectares, or over 13 times the size of Singapore.
“Both these national parks are largely stable as the key habitats for Bornean orangutans in the province. In addition to the two conservation areas, protection forests and production landscapes (forestry and palm oil concessions), they also continue to play host to this critically-endangered species,” Minister Nurbaya explained.
She pointed out that both satellite and ground-based monitoring are still underway during the pandemic, as well as law enforcement efforts, underlining that there has been no decline in the ministry’s level of concern.
Land-based economic, environmental recovery efforts
She added that Indonesia continues to work hard at an optimal level in carrying out land-based economic recovery efforts aimed at creating as many new job opportunities as possible as part of attempts to lift Indonesia out of economic recession.
“These land-based economic recovery efforts, including those in various landscapes in the Indonesian Borneo provinces, are being undertaken along with reduced deforestation measures at a certain level, all of which are intended to prevent the potential extinction of Bornean orangutans using strict indicators,” she reaffirmed.
Indonesia, Minister Nurbaya continued, is also persisting with its work to restore degraded peatlands and accelerate mangrove rehabilitation as part of environmental and economic recovery, and also as a means to enhance job creation for communities.
“As much as 79% of environmental and forestry issues are directly linked to Indonesia’s key priority programs, including efforts to escape from minus economic growth as soon as possible and to increase public consumption as much as possible with these ongoing land-based economic and environmental recovery efforts,” she said in conclusion.
RELATED STORIES
