Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government's social forestry programs have increased the income of families living near forests, according to Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya.

She stated that the social forestry programs cover 8.018 million hectares of land, with around 1.4 million families having access to it. These programs have also increased their monthly income to Rp2.3 million (approximately US$152.07).

"We have increased people's access to forests to over 8 million hectares from only 400,000 hectares in 2025," Nurbaya said during a bike riding event attended by several ambassadors in Jakarta on Sunday.

She mentioned that the Ministry of Environment and Forestry had informed President Joko Widodo and President-elect Prabowo Subianto about the agenda regarding forestry and the environment.

Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia Rut Kruger Giverin expressed appreciation for the Indonesian government's efforts to reduce the impact of deforestation and environmental pollution through various initiatives, including social forestry.

She emphasized the importance of developing the social forestry program in Indonesia, as it is considered to have gained attention at the global level.

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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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