POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Professor Siti Nurbaya used the occasion of World Orangutan Day (Aug 19) to reiterate that ground-based evidence confirms that Sumatran, Tapanuli and Bornean orangutans are far from extinction and instead will continue to have growing populations.
She also appealed not to lose sight of this ground-based evidence when it comes to responding to negative campaigns about the fate of orangutans in Indonesia. The motivation of the parties behind such campaigns, according to the Minister, is not to collaborate but rather to generate benefits for themselves.
As an example of this, the minister cited a high-profile campaign seemingly linked to efforts to acquire a forestry concession by discrediting the government and the company concerned by claiming the orangutans in the concession were under threat.
“However, when I ordered law enforcement actions on the ground to investigate these allegations, it turned out that the so-called evidence had been exaggerated and, in fact, the orangutans in the concession were under no serious threat.
Nonetheless, the acquisition of this forestry concession did go ahead later,” Minister Nurbaya said.
Meanwhile other types of campaigns, she continued, are solely designed for and oriented towards fund-raising and creating new projects for the organizations concerned.
“Unfortunately, these parties tend to deliberately build narratives as it pleases them in order to achieve the goals of their organizations, regardless of whether the evidence they mention matches the facts on the ground and from the time series. As such, we must keep sight of the real ground-based and time-series evidence and not be fooled," she urged.
Minister Nurbaya also advised keeping on the lookout for other types of campaigns which use a predictions or projections-based approach to claim that orangutans are in a situation of extreme emergency in Indonesia and face extinction in the near future.
“I have ignored unproductive and unconstructive campaign approaches like these for years. My view is that instead of wasting time responding to them, we should continue trusting the ground-based evidence as the basis for taking appropriate actions to conserve and protect orangutans," she asserted.
In reality, the ground-based evidence demonstrates that Indonesia remains home to the world’s largest population of orangutans. Furthermore, millions of hectares of orangutan habitat are protected thanks to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's permanent moratorium on primary forest and peatland conversion, as detailed by Minister Nurbaya in her 2021 World Orangutan Day message which was reported at the time by FORESTHINTS.NEWS.
Special World Orangutan Day
Minister Nurbaya lauded this year's World Orangutan Day as very special, now that Indonesia has in place an operational plan, launched in March this year, for its Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) NET SINK 2030 target. This legally-binding climate target will ensure, among other things, that orangutans will remain far from extinction and instead continue to thrive.
To this end, various strategies and approaches have been thoroughly outlined in the FOLU NET SINK 2030 operational plan to address the protection and conservation of flagship species, including and especially orangutans.
While acknowledging that certain landscapes do feature fragmented orangutan habitat, the Minister pointed out that the majority of the situations causing this occurred before President Jokowi took office and are not new cases.
“Our efforts include making sure that corridors for orangutans continue to exist, whether within state forest areas (conservation, protection and production forests) or in places connecting state forest areas to non-state forest areas,” Minister Nurbaya explained.
“We will keep ensuring that high conservation value and high carbon stock (HCV and HCS) areas distributed among palm oil and forestry concessions, including orangutan habitats, stay connected to their corridors, including those involving ecosystem restoration concessions that are part of forestry concessions (state forest areas),” she elaborated.
"We are also working on production landscapes to maintain the protection of orangutans as an ongoing and uppermost priority," the minister continued.
Minister Nurbaya emphasized that there was not zero fragmentation of orangutan habitat when President Jokowi began his administration given the many cases that already existed. “Despite the difficult legacy handed down to us from previous administrations, we have to work out the most affordable priorities when it comes to fragmented orangutan habitats,” she said.
In this regard, the minister credited the FOLU NET SINK 2030 operational plan for helping to keep efforts aimed at the conservation and protection of orangutans firmly on track.
The protection and conservation of orangutans, Minister Nurbaya cautioned, doesn’t just involve conservation and protection forests, but also production forests (which are state forest areas) and non-state forest areas.
Friendly reminders
Minister Nurbaya once again gave a friendly reminder that the vast majority of palm oil and forestry permits, some of which include Sumatran and Bornean orangutan habitats, were not granted by President Widodo’s administration.
“This legacy of previous administrations and the challenges this has created mean that we need to remain focused on the ground-based and time-series evidence," she said.
As another friendly reminder, the Minister implored that we keep sight of the evidence regarding the significant extent to which global supply chains are linked to the Indonesian palm oil and forestry sectors, involving concessions that partially include Sumatran and Bornean orangutan habitats.
“Global supply chains remain dependent on the Indonesian palm oil and forestry sectors and will continue to be so for many decades," she asserted.
“Importantly, however, the ground-based evidence proves that an effective population of both Sumatran and Bornean orangutans inhabiting fairly substantial parts of Indonesian palm oil and forestry concessions is viable," she underlined.
Minister Nurbaya concluded by reasserting that President Jokowi's permanent moratorium map coupled with effective Sumatran and Bornean orangutan habitats among palm oil and forestry concessions are cause for optimism and will enable consistency and reliability in protecting and conserving orangutans and their habitats for years to come.
RELATED STORIES
POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Professor Siti Nurbaya used the occasion of World Orangutan Day (Aug 19) to reiterate that ground-based evidence confirms that Sumatran, Tapanuli and Bornean orangutans are far from extinction and instead will continue to have growing populations.
She also appealed not to lose sight of this ground-based evidence when it comes to responding to negative campaigns about the fate of orangutans in Indonesia. The motivation of the parties behind such campaigns, according to the Minister, is not to collaborate but rather to generate benefits for themselves.
As an example of this, the minister cited a high-profile campaign seemingly linked to efforts to acquire a forestry concession by discrediting the government and the company concerned by claiming the orangutans in the concession were under threat.
“However, when I ordered law enforcement actions on the ground to investigate these allegations, it turned out that the so-called evidence had been exaggerated and, in fact, the orangutans in the concession were under no serious threat.
Nonetheless, the acquisition of this forestry concession did go ahead later,” Minister Nurbaya said.
Meanwhile other types of campaigns, she continued, are solely designed for and oriented towards fund-raising and creating new projects for the organizations concerned.
“Unfortunately, these parties tend to deliberately build narratives as it pleases them in order to achieve the goals of their organizations, regardless of whether the evidence they mention matches the facts on the ground and from the time series. As such, we must keep sight of the real ground-based and time-series evidence and not be fooled," she urged.
Minister Nurbaya also advised keeping on the lookout for other types of campaigns which use a predictions or projections-based approach to claim that orangutans are in a situation of extreme emergency in Indonesia and face extinction in the near future.
“I have ignored unproductive and unconstructive campaign approaches like these for years. My view is that instead of wasting time responding to them, we should continue trusting the ground-based evidence as the basis for taking appropriate actions to conserve and protect orangutans," she asserted.
In reality, the ground-based evidence demonstrates that Indonesia remains home to the world’s largest population of orangutans. Furthermore, millions of hectares of orangutan habitat are protected thanks to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's permanent moratorium on primary forest and peatland conversion, as detailed by Minister Nurbaya in her 2021 World Orangutan Day message which was reported at the time by FORESTHINTS.NEWS.
Special World Orangutan Day
Minister Nurbaya lauded this year's World Orangutan Day as very special, now that Indonesia has in place an operational plan, launched in March this year, for its Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) NET SINK 2030 target. This legally-binding climate target will ensure, among other things, that orangutans will remain far from extinction and instead continue to thrive.
To this end, various strategies and approaches have been thoroughly outlined in the FOLU NET SINK 2030 operational plan to address the protection and conservation of flagship species, including and especially orangutans.
While acknowledging that certain landscapes do feature fragmented orangutan habitat, the Minister pointed out that the majority of the situations causing this occurred before President Jokowi took office and are not new cases.
“Our efforts include making sure that corridors for orangutans continue to exist, whether within state forest areas (conservation, protection and production forests) or in places connecting state forest areas to non-state forest areas,” Minister Nurbaya explained.
“We will keep ensuring that high conservation value and high carbon stock (HCV and HCS) areas distributed among palm oil and forestry concessions, including orangutan habitats, stay connected to their corridors, including those involving ecosystem restoration concessions that are part of forestry concessions (state forest areas),” she elaborated.
"We are also working on production landscapes to maintain the protection of orangutans as an ongoing and uppermost priority," the minister continued.
Minister Nurbaya emphasized that there was not zero fragmentation of orangutan habitat when President Jokowi began his administration given the many cases that already existed. “Despite the difficult legacy handed down to us from previous administrations, we have to work out the most affordable priorities when it comes to fragmented orangutan habitats,” she said.
In this regard, the minister credited the FOLU NET SINK 2030 operational plan for helping to keep efforts aimed at the conservation and protection of orangutans firmly on track.
The protection and conservation of orangutans, Minister Nurbaya cautioned, doesn’t just involve conservation and protection forests, but also production forests (which are state forest areas) and non-state forest areas.
Friendly reminders
Minister Nurbaya once again gave a friendly reminder that the vast majority of palm oil and forestry permits, some of which include Sumatran and Bornean orangutan habitats, were not granted by President Widodo’s administration.
“This legacy of previous administrations and the challenges this has created mean that we need to remain focused on the ground-based and time-series evidence," she said.
As another friendly reminder, the Minister implored that we keep sight of the evidence regarding the significant extent to which global supply chains are linked to the Indonesian palm oil and forestry sectors, involving concessions that partially include Sumatran and Bornean orangutan habitats.
“Global supply chains remain dependent on the Indonesian palm oil and forestry sectors and will continue to be so for many decades," she asserted.
“Importantly, however, the ground-based evidence proves that an effective population of both Sumatran and Bornean orangutans inhabiting fairly substantial parts of Indonesian palm oil and forestry concessions is viable," she underlined.
Minister Nurbaya concluded by reasserting that President Jokowi's permanent moratorium map coupled with effective Sumatran and Bornean orangutan habitats among palm oil and forestry concessions are cause for optimism and will enable consistency and reliability in protecting and conserving orangutans and their habitats for years to come.
RELATED STORIES
