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View all search resultsGovt’s plan to recruit 70,000 forest rangers criticized
Two officials have raised a plan to recruit 70,000 new forest rangers across the country to prevent illegal logging, forest encroachment and other forest crimes.
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A forest ranger attends a flag-raising ceremony at the Forestry Ministry's office in Jakarta on Dec. 28, 2024. (Shutterstock/Asumsiproject Studio)
T
he government’s plan to recruit thousands of forest rangers to combat forest crimes has been met with doubts over their authority in safeguarding forests, with questions lingering over efforts to rein in extractive businesses that have devastated swaths of the country’s remaining forests.
The move was first announced in early February by Special Presidential Envoy on Energy and the Environment Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who is also the younger brother of President Prabowo Subianto.
Hashim said the President had agreed to recruit 70,000 people to expand the number of forest rangers safeguarding national parks, protected areas and other vital areas. The country currently has 4,800 rangers, which according to him is insufficient to protect the forests.
The plan was reiterated by Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni on Feb. 19, who said his ministry aimed to close the gap between the existing number of forest rangers and its ideal figure to safeguard the country’s 125 million hectares of forest.
He added that the ideal ratio should have been one ranger for every 2,500 ha, a total of 70,000 rangers.
The current size of the force leaves each ranger to guard 25,000 ha of forest, an area one-third the size of Jakarta. He also noted that regions like Aceh only have 63 personnel to oversee its 3.5 million ha of forest.
“I’ve met the President twice and he has agreed to increase the number of forest rangers,” Raja Juli said, as quoted by state news agency Antara.
