Enviro News Asia, Yogyakarta — Indonesia is accelerating efforts to recognize Indigenous communities and establish customary forests, with the government stressing that legal recognition must be followed by clear boundaries, stronger institutions, mapping and concrete action at the local level.
The issue was discussed during a workshop on accelerating the recognition of Indigenous communities and customary forests held in Yogyakarta on October 1–2, 2026. Organized by the Yogyakarta Social Forestry Center, the forum brought together government officials, academics, Indigenous representatives and other stakeholders to examine obstacles to recognition, particularly in Java.
The government has committed to recognizing customary forests, but implementation remains challenging because of unclear territories, regulations, institutional capacity, data, boundary issues and coordination between government institutions.
San Afri Awang, a member of the Task Force for Accelerating Customary Forest Status, emphasized the importance of establishing clear boundaries for customary forests.
“Customary forest areas must be mapped, and the government needs to involve communities in managing them,” he said.
Mapping, however, is not simply an administrative process. Indigenous territories can overlap with forest areas, administrative boundaries and other land-management interests, making clear and accountable boundary-setting essential.
Different Communities Face Different Challenges
The workshop highlighted that the recognition process cannot follow a single approach.
In Central Java, Jalawastu was presented as an example of a community that has completed the recognition process and secured customary forest designation. Meanwhile, communities in Gunung Sagara and Bonokeling still require stronger legal processes and resolution of territorial issues.
In East Java, challenges remain among the Osing, Tengger and Samin communities.
The Osing community needs greater agreement among stakeholders on Indigenous recognition and protection. The Tengger community has established a committee to facilitate the recognition process, while the Samin community requires further socialization on the applicable recognition requirements.
The workshop therefore called for stronger coordination among central and local governments, academics, Indigenous communities and other stakeholders.
Participants also stressed the need for clear timelines for follow-up actions. Issues identified in the workshop’s follow-up matrix are expected to be addressed and coordinated without delay.
Turning Recognition Into Action
The follow-up agenda includes resolving territorial issues, strengthening documents supporting Indigenous recognition, mapping customary territories and improving coordination between central and local governments.
Institutional support from local governments is considered particularly important in accelerating recognition.
Central Java’s experience, including its Social Forestry Acceleration Working Group and the recognition process involving the Jalawastu Indigenous community, was discussed as a potential lesson for other regions. Meanwhile, Gunung Sagara and Bonokeling still require further legal strengthening.
The workshop also highlighted the importance of ensuring that communities with longstanding cultural values and traditional practices do not lose opportunities to secure legal recognition.
For Indigenous communities, recognition is not only about legal status. It can provide greater certainty over territories with which communities have longstanding historical ties while supporting forest protection by people who have traditionally lived alongside and managed these ecosystems.
The workshop concluded with an emphasis on turning government commitments into practical steps: mapping Indigenous territories, recognizing communities, establishing customary forests, providing continued assistance and ensuring that customary forest management works in practice. (*)
