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The Secretary General Of The Ministry Of Environment And Forestry, Bambang H, Believes That The Community Plays A Crucial Role In Managing Productive Forests

Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), Bambang Hendroyono, emphasized that the community plays a crucial role in the productive and sustainable forest management. This statement was made during a speech and keynote speech at the National Webinar of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Forestry and Environment of IPB University (HAE IPB) Series 3 in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday (15/06/2024).

"Currently, the community holds a very important position in forest management, acting as stakeholders, a source of local knowledge, resource users, supervisors, decision-makers, and forest managers," explained Bambang.

Over the past 20 years and following the issuance of Law number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation which later became Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning the Determination of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation, forest management practices reflect efforts to achieve a balance between economic, social, and environmental needs focusing on sustainability and community welfare through social forestry programs. This policy is reinforced by the issuance of Presidential Regulation No. 28 of 2023 concerning Integrated Planning for Accelerating Social Forestry Management.

In this era, communities are granted the right to manage forest areas similar to the permits given to private entities, and communities are provided with business development facilitation, funding, and assistance in managing forest areas for the welfare and sustainability.

"This policy change is a corrective action by the Government towards more sustainable and just forest management in Indonesia," added Bambang.

In front of more than 800 participants attending online, Bambang reiterated that collaboration and community involvement are key to success in conservation efforts and sustainable forest management towards Indonesia Emas 2045.

Engaging the community in sustainable economic activities such as ecotourism, agroforestry, and small and medium enterprises based on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) through social forestry will provide direct economic benefits to the community while also preserving the forest. Therefore, business institutions and market access for NTFP-based commodities through Integrated Area Development (IAD) are built and developed to achieve the goal of improving community welfare.

"And equally important, the capabilities and competencies of the community regarding sustainable forest management practices need to be enhanced. The use of local wisdom in forest management must be respected and combined with modern technology. Local traditions that have proven effective in preserving the forest must be integrated into sustainable forest management policies," added Bambang.

Need for Supervision and Evaluation Mechanisms

On the other hand, the government needs to create and enforce policies and regulations that support sustainable forest management. These policies must protect the rights of local communities and provide incentives for sustainable best practices.

Transparent and continuous supervision and evaluation mechanisms are needed to ensure that forest management practices are carried out according to plan and achieve the set goals.

"With the spirit of care and respect, as one unified forest corps, I invite all Indonesian foresters to continue contributing brilliant ideas regarding the existence of forests in their function and role as a life support system and supporting the nation's economy," concluded Bambang.