Indonesia: Minister confirms extension of forest moratorium

Antara 7 May 13;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan has confirmed that the forest moratorium based on Presidential Instruction No 10/2011 which will expire this May, to be extended but he still does not know when the new regulation to be issued.

"The forest moratorium has to be extended. I still don`t know when, and whether it should be expanded or not as its draft is still on the round-table discussion," Minister Hasan said here on Tuesday.

One of the reasons why the moratorium about the postponement of issuance of new licenses and improving governance of primary natural forest and peatland has to be extended, is because it is part of the Indonesian Government`s commitment to reduction of 26 percent of the carbon emission by 2020, he noted.

"We are committed to achieving this goal. However the Presidential Instruction was issued in May 2011, we had prepared its draft since early 2010," he said.

Therefore, to continue its commitment, the moratorium on deforestation would be extended, at least for the primary forests and the peatlands, he stressed.

However, Hasan added there would be risk that the forestry companies will sue the ministry related to the forest conversion right for industry.

"We would take that risk," he said.

But, the minister declined to give a deadline of the new moratorium .

"That is the authority of the president," Hasan said.

Previously, on Monday (May 6), the Indonesian Forestry Ministry and the United Nations of Development Programme (UNDP) launched first forest governance index to address the current state of forest protection and management of central and provincial government.

"Good forest governance is about public system and laws to protect the forests and peatlands. We hope the assessment results will translate into concrete actions to improve forest, land and REDD+ governance," said Country Director of the UNDP Indonesia Beate Trankmann.

Besides the UNDP Indonesia and Ministry of Forestry, National REDD+ Task Force and National Development Planning Board (BAPPENAS) jointly conducted the participatory government assessment (PGA) to provide adequate monitoring instrument for forest and peatlands protection in Indonesia.

"The Government of Indonesia places governance reform in forest and peatland management, including improving people`s welfare at the very core of REDD+ in Indonesia," said Head of the National REDD+ Task Force Kuntoro Mangkusubroto.(*)

Editor: Heru

Indonesia Launches Forest Governance Index To Strengthen REDD+
Seulki Lee Antara 7 May 13;

Jakarta (Antara News) - As the two-year moratorium on deforestation faces expire, Indonesia has launched its first forest governance index to address the current state of forest protection and management of central and provincial government.

"Good forest governance is about public system and laws to protect the forest and peat lands. We hope the assessment results will translate into concrete actions to improve forest, land and REDD+ governance," said Beate Trankmann, country director of the UNDP Indonesia at the official launching event held in Le Merdien Hotel here on Monday.

UNDP Indonesia, Ministry of Forestry, National REDD+ Task Force and National Development Planning Board (BAPPENAS) jointly conducted the participatory government assessment (PGA) to provide adequate monitoring instrument for forest and peat lands protection in Indonesia.

According to UN-REDD Indonesia program, the country`s forest land comprises 60 percent of its land area, which makes it the third largest area of tropical forest coverage in the world.

However Indonesia has shown one of the worlds` highest deforestation rates since 1990 due largely to logging, pulp and paper production, agricultural expansion, fires and oil palm plantations.

"More than half of the forest in Aceh National Park is disappearing. The implementation of good forest governance through REDD+ is expected to reverse deforestation rates in Indonesia. It could be a good model," said Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan in his keynote speech.

In fact, Indonesia is the first of four PGA pilots amongst Ecuador, Nigeria and Viet Nam. The PGA research covered 10 largest forested areas of Aceh, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, West Papua and Papua as well as two districts for each province since March 2011.

"85 percent of forest managements are in the hand of local government. This participatory approach assessment could bring all stakeholders to claim their ownership to forest. The law engagement to deal with corruption, illegal logging and clear cut of the forest should be addressed," said Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, the head of the national REDD+ task force.

Indonesia`s first forest governance index (2012) recorded at the national level of 2.32 out of a maximum score of 5, while at the central government level of 2.78 and at average index value of 10 provinces of 2.39, at 20 districts of 1.8.

The PGA report pointed the main issue of central level as open access of implementation and rights conflict when in province level has main issue of limited law enforcement and transaction cost in organization.

Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia Stig Traavik attended the forest governance index launching event.

Under the REDD+ scheme, Norway allocated up to US$1 billion over seven or eight years to finance Indonesia`s emission reduction programs. ***4***

(editing by Fardah)

Indonesia's Forest Moratorium Needs To Be Extended, Expanded: Expert
Fardah and A. Fitriyanti Antara 7 May 13;

Jakarta (Antara News) - Indonesia`s forest moratorium should be extended and expanded in order to be effective in further reducing gas emissions and deforestation rate, according to an expert.

"The greenhouse gas emission reduction Indonesia reached 8.3 percent. It`s a lot, but it could be expanded by among other things reviewing the existing concessions," Jonah Busch of the World Resources Institute (WRI), said here on Monday.

Speaking in a discussion on "Indonesia Forest Moratorium 2011-2013: What Next?", jointly hosted by WRI, Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) and Puter Foundation, Busch suggested that the moratorium should also include secondary forests, mangroves, and new logging concessions, as well as review the existing forest concessions in order to achieve the government`s gas emission cut target of 26 percent by 2020.

The Indonesian government on May 20, 2011 issued Presidential Instruction No. 10/2011 on "The postponement of issuance of new licenses and improving governance of primary natural forest and peatland".

The presidential instruction, which imposes a 2-year moratorium on new forest concession licenses, will expire this May 2013.

Some speakers in the discussions basically said a two-year moratorium was not enough, and therefore it should be extended.

Jonah Busch said the moratorium should be extended until eight to ten years.

Daniel Murdiyarso, senior scientist of Bogor-based CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research) believed that a two-year moratorium is effective only to identify challenges and problems, and therefore it should be extended.

Murdiyarso also reminded that the most important achievement should not be seen from the quantity but the quality by assuring that the moratorium covers more primary forests having high carbon density.

Yani Saloh of the Indonesian President`s Office on Climate Change, in the discussion said in principle a presidential instruction could not be extended.

But the moratorium policy could be extended by issuing a new presidential instruction.

In this case, the forestry ministry should report to the president about the past two-year implementation of the moratorium and give recommendations regarding the extension, she said.

The WRI discussion also emphasized the importance of improving forest governance and transparency as well as strengthening the law enforcement in the moratorium implementation.

Taryono Darusman of the Puter Foundation told the audience about the foundation`s findings on the moratorium implementation at the district levels.

Based on the foundation`s field studies in eight districts in Riau and Central Kalimantan Provinces, quite many local officers were not aware of the moratorium monitoring mechanism. ***4***
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