POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesia - home to the second largest expanse of tropical forests on earth with a richness of biodiversity, as well as unrivalled key wildlife species - can boast that more than 120 million hectares, or 63% of its total land area, is comprised of state forest areas, an area over three times larger than Norway.
Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya conveyed this data, among other information, in a recent written report to President Joko Widodo (Nov 19). Under the newly-passed job creation law, these state forest areas are managed with heed to the ecosystem mosaic using a landscape-based approach.
"More than 10% of the total area containing state forests consists of convertible production forests (HPK), which are prioritized for non-forestry development such as food estates. In this case, areas with poor forest cover in a landscape take presedence," Minister Nurbaya pointed out in a virtual discussion (Nov 24).
She added that more than 42% of Indonesia's land area made up of state forests consists of conservation areas and protection forests while over 46% consists of production forests.
"With regard to the provision on minimum state forest areas, this is no longer set at 30% in the job creation law. There has been a change in approach, from an administrative approach to a landscape-based approach which takes into account the ecosystem mosaic," she elaborated.
Minister Nurbaya explained that the landscape-based approach primarily prioritizes wildlife and biodiversity conservation efforts, regardless of administrative boundaries, with an emphasis on interconnectedness and mutual linkages.
"In line with this, compact conservation-based landscapes will be widely distributed in various regions across Indonesia," she said.
This graph shows the distribution of the more than 120 million hectares of Indonesia’s state forest areas, equivalent to almost five times the size of the UK, according to the latest land use allocation.
Watershed management prioritized
Minister Nurbaya stressed that watershed-based management forms an important basis in developing landscape-based approaches in every region, making adequate forest cover an essential element which includes continuing community-based tree planting efforts in the vicinity of watersheds.
She also declared that upstream-downstream linkages between provinces/districts/cities in an ecosystem are also an inseparable part of the landscape-based approach.
"The minimum requirement for state forest areas (30 percent per province) increases the potential for deforestation. Evidence shows that the vast majority of proposals to change state forest areas for conversion purposes come from provinces comprising more than 30% of state forest areas," she explained.
According to her, the removal of the minimum 30% state forest area requirement means that this can no longer be used by local governments to propose conversions of state forests.
Opportunities for local governments
Minister Nurbaya confirmed that provinces containing more than 30% state forest areas will continue to propose a reduction in the area for conversions closer to that percentage.
"With the job creation law, proposals using the justification of the 30% requirement in this way have been legally disqualified," she said.
She went on to say that the government is also providing opportunities for those local governments enduring difficulty in moving ahead with development because their state forest areas are around 30% to be allowed to reduce the percentage with strict requirements.
“These include paying attention to watershed management, forest cover and upstream and downstream linkages in a landscape,” Minister Nurbaya reaffirmed.
Recently FORESTHINTS.NEWS (Nov 18) reported that almost all unforested protection forests covering an area nearly 10 times that of Bali came into existence before President Widodo took office, and that these areas are in part being prioritized for rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, community farms that have been situated in unforested protection forests for a long time will not be uprooted because they are being legally protected by social forestry and agrarian reform programs and form part of community-based food estate development initiatives.
RELATED STORIES
POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesia - home to the second largest expanse of tropical forests on earth with a richness of biodiversity, as well as unrivalled key wildlife species - can boast that more than 120 million hectares, or 63% of its total land area, is comprised of state forest areas, an area over three times larger than Norway.
Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya conveyed this data, among other information, in a recent written report to President Joko Widodo (Nov 19). Under the newly-passed job creation law, these state forest areas are managed with heed to the ecosystem mosaic using a landscape-based approach.
"More than 10% of the total area containing state forests consists of convertible production forests (HPK), which are prioritized for non-forestry development such as food estates. In this case, areas with poor forest cover in a landscape take presedence," Minister Nurbaya pointed out in a virtual discussion (Nov 24).
She added that more than 42% of Indonesia's land area made up of state forests consists of conservation areas and protection forests while over 46% consists of production forests.
"With regard to the provision on minimum state forest areas, this is no longer set at 30% in the job creation law. There has been a change in approach, from an administrative approach to a landscape-based approach which takes into account the ecosystem mosaic," she elaborated.
Minister Nurbaya explained that the landscape-based approach primarily prioritizes wildlife and biodiversity conservation efforts, regardless of administrative boundaries, with an emphasis on interconnectedness and mutual linkages.
"In line with this, compact conservation-based landscapes will be widely distributed in various regions across Indonesia," she said.
This graph shows the distribution of the more than 120 million hectares of Indonesia’s state forest areas, equivalent to almost five times the size of the UK, according to the latest land use allocation.
Watershed management prioritized
Minister Nurbaya stressed that watershed-based management forms an important basis in developing landscape-based approaches in every region, making adequate forest cover an essential element which includes continuing community-based tree planting efforts in the vicinity of watersheds.
She also declared that upstream-downstream linkages between provinces/districts/cities in an ecosystem are also an inseparable part of the landscape-based approach.
"The minimum requirement for state forest areas (30 percent per province) increases the potential for deforestation. Evidence shows that the vast majority of proposals to change state forest areas for conversion purposes come from provinces comprising more than 30% of state forest areas," she explained.
According to her, the removal of the minimum 30% state forest area requirement means that this can no longer be used by local governments to propose conversions of state forests.
Opportunities for local governments
Minister Nurbaya confirmed that provinces containing more than 30% state forest areas will continue to propose a reduction in the area for conversions closer to that percentage.
"With the job creation law, proposals using the justification of the 30% requirement in this way have been legally disqualified," she said.
She went on to say that the government is also providing opportunities for those local governments enduring difficulty in moving ahead with development because their state forest areas are around 30% to be allowed to reduce the percentage with strict requirements.
“These include paying attention to watershed management, forest cover and upstream and downstream linkages in a landscape,” Minister Nurbaya reaffirmed.
Recently FORESTHINTS.NEWS (Nov 18) reported that almost all unforested protection forests covering an area nearly 10 times that of Bali came into existence before President Widodo took office, and that these areas are in part being prioritized for rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, community farms that have been situated in unforested protection forests for a long time will not be uprooted because they are being legally protected by social forestry and agrarian reform programs and form part of community-based food estate development initiatives.
RELATED STORIES