PUBLIKASI

2018 and 2019 are very full years with political content. In June 2018, communities in 17 provinces and 154 districts/cities elected the Governor and the new Deputy Governor. Seventeen provinces that have new leaders consisting of four provinces in the region of Sumatra (North Sumatra, Riau, South Sumatra, Lampung), three provinces in Java (West Java, Central Java, East Java), two provinces in the region of Kalimantan (West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan), two provinces in the Sulawesi region (Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi), three provinces in the Bali-Nusra region (Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara), and three provinces in the region of Maluku. The number of residents in four provinces, namely West Java, Central Java, East Java, and North Sumatra are said to represent 80 percent of the total Indonesian voters who can indicate votes for the 2019 Presidential election. Changes in government and the process to get there are very likely to affect the management of natural resources, including forests, peatlands, and the rights of indigenous and local communities.

The report addresses the conditions of forests (forest areas, forest cover, and deforestation) in 17 provinces that have new leaders and examine the campaign platform of elected Governors-Vice-Regencies related to the environment and indigenous communities. The report also delves into the authority of provincial-level governments in the forestry sector based on the new Local Government laws and their role in forest and peat management to understand how they can affect the fate of forests, peatlands, and community rights.