Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni is taking a serious approach to a comprehensive evaluation of safety procedures for mountain hiking. He stated his intention to improve management in national parks, especially regarding hiking activities.
“I want to see improvements in our national parks. We must be extremely cautious in managing national parks used for hiking,” said Minister Raja Antoni during a meeting on Wednesday (2 July 2025), as stated in an official release from the Ministry of Forestry.
During the meeting, the Minister invited and sought input from representatives of the Rinjani Rescue Team, including Abdul Haris Agam (Rinjani Squad), Herna Hadi Prasetyo (Rinjani Squad), Mustiadi (EMHC), and Samsul Padli (SAR Unit East Lombok).
Also in attendance were Nandang Prihadi, Director of Environmental Services Utilization in Conservation Areas (Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation – KSDAE), Yarman, Head of Mount Rinjani National Park Office, along with officials from the Ministry of Forestry.
The Minister emphasized the importance of clearly defining the concept of safety first before any hiking activities take place. He stressed that determining safety parameters must involve field personnel, including guides and porters.
“It’s important for us to define what safety first really means in measurable terms. This should be developed using a participatory approach, involving people who are directly working on the ground,” he said.
Several key points were highlighted for evaluation, including the addition of signboards and the implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wristbands. He called for immediate implementation of RFID technology on Mount Rinjani, similar to what has already been applied on Mount Merbabu.
“The RFID wristband plan must be implemented without delay,” he stated.
In addition, Minister Raja Antoni proposed that hiking requirements in Indonesia should be based on the difficulty level of each mountain. This initiative aims to enhance safety protocols, especially considering the diverse conditions and difficulty levels of Indonesia’s mountains.
“I have an idea to develop pre-hiking requirements based on a mountain’s difficulty level,” he said. (*)
