"The loss of tree cover in Aceh's forests recorded a positive trend over these past nine years," he told local journalists in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province, on Tuesday.
The HAkA Foundation noted that Aceh's deforestation rate was recorded at 21,056 hectares in 2015, some 21,060 hectares in 2016, around 17,820 hectares in 2017, some 15,071 hectares in 2018, and 15,140 hectares in 2019.
The deforestation rate continued to decline to 14,759 hectares in 2020, some 9,028 hectares in 2021, some 9,384 hectares in 2022, and 8,906 hectares in 2023, Hakim remarked.
"HAkA's data interpretation just calculates the deforestation rate. It does not consider the growing forests on unforested land," he explained, adding that Aceh's loss of tree cover in 2023 was recorded at 8,906 hectares.
The loss of tree cover in 2023 also occurred inside the forest of the Leuser Ecosystem area. The loss was recorded at 4,854 hectares, Hakim pointed out.
HAkA's data interpretation calculated that the highest deforestation-related activities occurred inside the province's protected forests, where South Aceh District lost a forest area of 1,854 hectares in 2023.
Despite its ongoing deforestation, Aceh's percentage of tree cover still ranks first on Sumatra Island and ninth in Indonesia, he added.
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Translator: R.Fajri, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
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