Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry has reinforced the strategic direction of the country’s forestry sector through the Second Revision of the 2011–2030 National Forestry Plan (Rencana Kehutanan Tingkat Nasional/RKTN), positioning it as a key planning instrument to address evolving national policies, development priorities, conservation challenges, socio-economic needs, and climate change. The announcement was made during the dissemination of Minister of Forestry Regulation No. 8 of 2026 on the 2011–2030 National Forestry Plan, held in Jakarta on Tuesday (7 July).
Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni expressed his appreciation to all stakeholders who contributed to the preparation of the Second Revision of the National Forestry Plan.
“Through this revised National Forestry Plan, we aim to strengthen our efforts to fulfill the mission of forest development—sustainable forests, prosperous communities, and development that must continue,” Raja Juli Antoni said.
According to the Minister, the National Forestry Plan provides a fundamental framework to ensure that forestry development is implemented through consistent, well-directed, and inclusive planning. He emphasized that forest management must maintain a balance between ecological functions, community interests, and national development needs.
He added that the revised plan also reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that forestry policies remain adaptive to changing conditions and on-the-ground realities while upholding the principles of sustainability.
Director General of Forestry Planning at the Ministry of Forestry, Ade Tri Ajikusumah, explained that the Second Revision of the National Forestry Plan was prepared in 2025 to respond to changes in national policies and the increasingly complex dynamics of forest management.
“The second revision of the National Forestry Plan is expected to address challenges related to conservation, economic development, social dynamics, and climate change. One of its fundamental approaches is the application of the land sparing concept, covering 91.55 million hectares, and land sharing, covering 32.40 million hectares,” he said.
He explained that the land sparing approach is intended to provide clearly designated areas for specific forestry functions, while land sharing creates collaborative landscapes where multiple interests can be managed in an integrated manner.
According to Ade, the National Forestry Plan also forms an integral part of Indonesia’s national development planning system and serves as a reference for spatial planning. As such, forestry planning is no longer implemented in isolation but is fully integrated into the country’s broader development agenda.
Ade added that one of the major changes promoted through the revised plan is the strengthening of multi-business forestry—an approach that expands forest utilization beyond timber production to include non-timber forest products and environmental services.
Chairman of the Indonesian Forestry Concession Holders Association (Asosiasi Pengusaha Hutan Indonesia/APHI), Soewarso, welcomed the Second Revision of the 2011–2030 National Forestry Plan, saying it provides greater clarity for businesses engaged in sustainable forest management.
“The introduction of the land sparing and land sharing concepts provides clearer direction for land utilization while creating opportunities for collaboration within integrated landscape management,” Soewarso said.
He noted that the implementation of these concepts has the potential to attract greater investment in the forestry sector, promote more inclusive forest management, and help resolve land tenure issues through collaborative partnerships.
According to Soewarso, under the 2025 National Forestry Plan, approximately 43.95 million hectares have been designated for corporate utilization, while 15.08 million hectares have been allocated for community-based forest management.
“These designated areas constitute an important precondition for strengthening forestry investment, expanding multi-business forestry, and developing environmental services, including carbon-related initiatives,” he said.
Soewarso added that effective implementation of the revised National Forestry Plan will require simplified forestry partnership mechanisms, fiscal incentives, stronger government facilitation in resolving land tenure disputes, and greater flexibility to allow partial updates to forest utilization directives in response to changing field conditions.
Through the Second Revision of the National Forestry Plan, the Indonesian Government expects national forest governance to become more focused, adaptive, and capable of strengthening the balance between ecological sustainability, business certainty, community welfare, and the achievement of national development goals. (*)
