Enviro News Asia, Surabaya – The Ministry of Forestry held a Public Consultation on the Draft Ministerial Regulation on Forestry Dispute Resolution in Surabaya on Friday (7/10/2026), as part of efforts to strengthen forestry governance and address law enforcement challenges in the sector.
The event was officially opened by Secretary of the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement Lukita Awang Nistyantara, who said the draft regulation represents a concrete step in responding to the complexity of forestry problems and providing legal certainty through strong technical regulatory instruments for both litigation and non-litigation pathways.
Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho affirmed in his remarks that the drafting of the regulation is crucial for providing legal certainty.
“This regulation is designed to clarify norms, standards, procedures, and criteria at every stage of forestry dispute resolution, from handling mechanisms to procedures for recovering losses,” he said.
To ensure the resulting regulation is inclusive, applicable, and fair, the public consultation involved a range of strategic stakeholders, including representatives of forestry business associations and community organizations active in the forestry sector, both in person and virtually.
Discussion sessions were productive, featuring expert panelists including Prof. Dr. Ir. Basuki Wasis, M.Si. of IPB University as a forest damage expert, Prof. Dr. Suparto Widjoyo, S.H., M.H. of Universitas Airlangga as an environmental law expert, and Dr. rer. silv. Ir. Sandy Nurvianto of Universitas Gadjah Mada as a wildlife valuation expert.
The experts provided in-depth input on the legal standing of government and communities in forestry dispute resolution, the technical aspects of calculating forestry compensation, and transitional provisions for disputes currently in progress.
Also present as formulators and experts were Dr. Wiwiek Awiati, S.H., M.H. as an environmental dispute resolution expert, Osten Sianipar, S.H., M.Si as a forestry dispute resolution expert, and Yudi Ariyanto, S.H., M.T. as Acting Head of the Ministry of Forestry’s Legal Bureau.
All inputs gathered during the public consultation will serve as primary considerations for the Ministry of Forestry in refining the Draft Ministerial Regulation on Forestry Dispute Resolution. The government remains fully committed to improving the effectiveness of forestry law enforcement in protecting national ecosystems while guaranteeing the rights of affected communities. (*)
