"Through a long process of improving the forest monitoring system, Indonesia can now show data related to deforestation trends that can be explained scientifically,” said Agus Justianto, KLKH's Acting Director General of Sustainable Forest Management, on Friday.
On the sidelines of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) in New York, which was monitored online from Jakarta, he remarked that in the last three decades, Indonesia’s deforestation rate had decreased significantly.
Justianto elaborated that the net deforestation rate fell by 8.4 percent from 2021 to 2022, with a reduction in gross deforestation reaching 14.1 percent.
Indonesia's net deforestation during the 2021–2022 period was 104,000 hectares, as compared to 113,500 hectares in 2020–2021.
These results were achieved through data processing, both remote sensing and field inspection, or a hybrid combination.
Indonesia has in place a National Forest Monitoring System (SIMONTANA) to determine current forest conditions.
During the event in New York, he explained that Indonesia has 23 classes of land cover types, divided into forest and non-forest areas. Forest areas include natural and artificial forests as well as non-forests comprising other and mixed vegetation types.
"Land cover data is used as the main consideration in formulating national policies for implementing sustainable forest management practices," he explained.
On a similar occasion, Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry, Alue Dohong, stated that Indonesia's strong monitoring system also supports conservation efforts and sustainable forest management based on valid data.
"I also want to emphasize the importance of accurate data and information, in particular, in developing policies that can have a significant impact on the global economy," he remarked.
Indonesia participated at the 19th UNFF held at the UN Headquarters in New York on May 6–10. The activity at the forum comprised discussions on monitoring and improving forest use with experts and exhibitions.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violetta, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Anton Santoso
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