In March 2021, the Indonesian government released the latest data on Indonesia's deforestation (2019–2020) and announced the largest decline in deforestation in history, at 75%. This decline was welcomed internationally as it indicated an improving trend amidst increasing global forest loss.

This April edition of Madani Insight aims to increase public understanding of Indonesia's newly announced deforestation figures and their significance for achieving Indonesia's climate commitments (NDCs) and the Paris Agreement target of keeping global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This paper is divided into three parts. The first examines Indonesia's deforestation rate and where deforestation is most prevalent, including within permit or concession areas. The second examines the extent to which Indonesia's natural forests remain unprotected and therefore vulnerable to deforestation. The third section examines the significance of Indonesia's declining deforestation rate in relation to achieving its climate commitments and the Paris Agreement targets.

DEFINITION

To understand the meaning of Indonesia's deforestation figures, it is important to understand the various definitions of deforestation used by the Indonesian Government as explained below:

• Deforestation: Changes in land cover conditions from forest land cover class (forested) to non-forest land cover class (not forested).
• Forest: Land cover conditions include primary dryland forest, secondary dryland forest, primary swamp forest, secondary swamp forest, primary mangrove forest, secondary mangrove forest, and plantation forest (industrial plantation forest).
• Not Forest: Land cover forms such as shrubs, swamp shrubs, savannas/grasslands, plantations, dryland farming, dryland farming mixed with shrubs, transmigration, rice fields, fish ponds, open land, mines, settlements, swamps, and airports/ports.
• Neto Deforestation: Change/reduction in the area of forested land cover in a certain period, obtained by subtracting the gross deforestation rate from the reforestation rate.
• Reforestation: Changes in land cover conditions from the non-forest (non-forested) land cover class to the forest (forested) land cover class.
• Gross Deforestation: Changes in land cover conditions from forest category to non-forest category without taking into account reforestation activities that occur.
• Gross Deforestation of Natural Forests: Changes in land cover conditions from natural forest cover class to non-natural forest category. Gross deforestation of natural forest is used to separate changes in land cover conditions from forest cover to non-forest cover. not caused by the harvesting of plantation forests (industrial forests).

This paper will focus on gross deforestation or deforestation of natural forests which is very important for maintaining global climate stability, biodiversity conservation, and is relevant to efforts to achieve Indonesia's climate commitments.

Exploring the Facts Behind Indonesia's Deforestation in 2019–2020