VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is determined to rebuild Indonesia's wet tropical forests. Indonesia's Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 Operational Plan is a momentum to accelerate the process of strengthening environmental and forestry governance while meeting the target of meeting greenhouse gas emissions.

“Currently, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry is pushing for a paradigm shift to no longer just plant trees, but to systematically and measurably rebuild wet tropical forests in Indonesia. I am sure that the contribution of all parties will be able to realize the addition of forest cover area in 2030," said Acting Director General of Forestry Planning and Environmental Management, Ruandha Agung Sugardiman as Head of Daily I Work Team of Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 in sub-national socialization activities in Jambi Province, Wednesday (10/8/2022).

He explained that the current condition of Indonesia's forests is 95 million hectares or 51 percent of the total land area. Various tree plantings that have been carried out so far apparently have not been able to increase the area of ​​Indonesia's forests based on satellite image monitoring. For this reason, a strategy is needed through Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink so that by 2030 the forest cover area will increase every year.

Ruandha believes this tropical forest area can increase in the future through three main actions in Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030. The three main actions are efforts to reduce emissions through reducing deforestation rates and preventing forest and land fires, maintaining the quality of existing forests for carbon sequestration, as well as increasing the absorption function with the movement to build Indonesia's forests.

"Planting trees is focused on critical land polygons on the satellite map massively by all parties," said Ruandha.

Indonesia has ratified the Paris Agreement through the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document which is a national obligation in the global climate change agenda. Furthermore, Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 is a progress on President Joko Widodo's commitment to controlling climate change from the forestry sector and other land uses.

“Local governments as local policy makers are strategic partners of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in the successful implementation of FOLU Net Sink 2030 at the site level. In addition, the support of academics, KLHK partner institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the media is also needed to ground and disseminate the positive goals of FOLU Net Sink 2030. The involvement of all parties is significant in the success of this FOLU Net Sink mitigation action, "he said.

The Governor of Jambi, represented by Expert Staff for Economics and Development, Ariansyah conveyed the potential of Jambi Province in supporting Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 Operational Plan. Jambi has very high value environmental assets in the form of four National Parks, protected forests, Grand Forest Park (TAHURA) , as well as customary forests scattered throughout the Jambi region.

"This environmental asset and our pride must be maintained and recovered from damage because some of its conditions are damaged or degraded due to human activities," said Ariansyah.

According to him, the Jambi Provincial Government in carrying out development seeks to implement the Green Economy Concept. This is realized by integrating the green growth plan into the Jambi Province RPJMD for 2021-2026. The green economy concept aims to achieve sustainable economic growth, inclusive and equitable growth, healthy ecosystems so that they can provide environmental services, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"I am grateful that recently the awareness of the public and the business world to protect the environment has grown stronger, accompanied by increased attention and financial support from the central government and the international community," he said.

International support and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry received by the Jambi Provincial Government include the Biocarbon Fund Plus Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscape (Bio-CF-ISFL) Program. This program targets to reduce GHG emissions by 14 million tons of CO2e with an incentive of USD 70 million for the years 2021-2025. In addition, there is assistance from South Korea for peat restoration in Tanjung Jabung Timur, whose implementation will begin in 2021. The construction of canal blocks is carried out under the coordination of the Korea Indonesia Forest Cooperation Center institution.

After the socialization event, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry together with the Jambi Provincial Government immediately carried out a workshop on the preparation of Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 Work Plan at the Sub-National level. It is hoped that the Work Plan documents from all implementing provinces of Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 can be completed by the end of the year. (RRI)