The publication of the 2018 State of Indonesia’s Forests (SoIFO) report is a welcome step toward establishing a stronger foundation for sustainable forest governance in Indonesia. The report candidly presents the current state of forest management, highlighting longstanding structural inequalities that have persisted over time. While the corrective actions initiated by the Minister of Environment and Forestry represent a positive start, they remain insufficient if they focus primarily on redistributing forest land management.

The contradiction between forestry development as an economic driver and the commitment to environmental protection must be addressed by reinforcing corrective measures in Indonesia’s forest governance. This includes improving transparency of forest management data and information, formulating inclusive and accountable policies, strengthening monitoring and proportional law enforcement, and resolving conflicts. These points were conveyed by Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan (Madani) during a media briefing held this morning at Tjikinii Lima, Central Jakarta.

Anggalia Putri Permatasari, Director of Madani’s Forest and Climate Change Program, explained that the SoIFO report reveals significant gaps that still allow deforestation to occur and therefore require further corrective action from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF). According to the report, deforestation risks are driven by at least five factors:

• the allocation of 5 million hectares of new forest utilization permits,

• the designation of 2.5 million hectares of primary forests and 3.8 million hectares of secondary forests as Convertible Production Forests, which may be released for non-forestry development,

• the moratorium policy, which does not protect unlicensed secondary natural forests,

• the presence of 6.9 million hectares of natural forests within Other Land Use Areas (APL), and

• the land-swap policy covering 362,390 hectares of natural forests, as cited from a study by the Anti-Forest Mafia Coalition.

“Conservation and protected areas are also not fully secure, considering that 10.8 million hectares of conservation forests have already been converted into non-forest areas. In fact, between 2016 and 2017, 20 percent of deforestation occurred within conservation and protected areas,” Anggalia added.

Madani also noted that the government, in the SoIFO report, outlined several measures to address deforestation and forest degradation. One of these is the moratorium policy protecting 66.2 million hectares of primary forests and peatlands that have not yet been licensed. However, this policy still represents temporary protection, as it is implemented through a Presidential Instruction that has been extended three times without substantial improvements to its provisions. The policy also contains numerous exemptions and is scheduled to expire in July 2019. If the next elected President does not prioritize this policy, the future of millions of hectares of primary forests and peatlands will become increasingly uncertain.

To reinforce the corrective measures currently undertaken by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Madani calls on the government to:

1. Protect natural forests (both primary and secondary) from the issuance of new permits that could lead to deforestation and forest degradation;

2. Upgrade the temporary moratorium policy into permanent protection, ensuring that it remains effective regardless of changes in government; and

3. Develop an integrated roadmap toward a deforestation-free Indonesia, aligning and strengthening existing initiatives aimed at reducing deforestation and forest degradation.

These recommendations were conveyed by Muhammad Teguh Surya, Executive Director of Madani.

At the same time, the Indonesian government is expected to establish an effective monitoring system and actively enforce the law, given that many concessions continue to violate regulations while still operating in the field.

A strong political commitment from the government is urgently needed to improve Indonesia’s forest governance, considering the complex and overlapping management problems that persist today. It is hoped that both presidential and vice-presidential candidates will present clear visions and missions regarding forest and peatland management and protection, given that 63 percent of Indonesia’s land area is classified as forest.

Media Contacts

Muhammad Teguh Surya
Executive Director, Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan
✉ teguh.surya@madaniberkelanjutan.id
📞 +62 819-1519-1979

Anggalia Putri Permatasari
Director, Forest and Climate Change Program
✉ anggalia.putri@madaniberkelanjutan.id
📞 +62 856-2118-997

Melodya Apriliana
Digital Communication Campaigner
✉ melodya.a@madaniberkelanjutan.id
📞 +62 838-4227-2452

About Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan

Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening national and local initiatives to protect Indonesia’s forests. The organization works by bridging stakeholders—including government, the private sector, and civil society—to develop innovative solutions for sustainable forest and land governance.

Website: www.madaniberkelanjutan.id
Facebook: Madani Berkelanjutan
Twitter: @yayasanmadani
Instagram: @madaniberkelanjutan.id