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Indonesia claims success for lowest deforestation rate in 5 years
The Environment and Forestry Ministry claims the drop in Indonesia's deforestation rate was thanks to efforts to control forest fires and stricter law enforcement.
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The condition of the road to Merbau village in Tanjung Jabung Timur. Residents are worried that they would not get any help when forest and land fires happen.
(JP/Jon Afrizal)
T
he government has claimed more success in reducing the loss of Indonesia’s forest area, with recent data showing that last year’s deforestation rate was the lowest in five years.
The Environment and Forestry Ministry recorded a loss of up to 115,460 hectares of forests due to deforestation from 2019 to 2020, lower than the two previous figures of 462,500 ha in the 2018-2019 period and 439,400 ha in 2017-2018.
The ministry’s forest and environmental planning acting director general, Ruandha Agung Sugardiman, said the drop was thanks to the government’s moratorium on the conversion of primary forests and peatland, controlling forest and peatland fires, and stricter law enforcement.
“Our efforts have brought significant results [in reducing deforestation],” Ruandha said in a recent media briefing.
Apart from the efforts in reducing forest loss, the ministry also highlighted the area of forest coverage gained from reforestation efforts, said the ministry’s forest resources inventory and monitoring director, Belinda Arunawati Margono.
Since 2011, the ministry has calculated the country’s annual deforestation rate by subtracting the total deforested area, or brute deforestation rate, with the total area of tree cover gained.
