Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni and Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki met with 12 young civil servants representing the Ministry of Forestry’s MATAHARI Program on 4 June 2026, encouraging them to transform innovative ideas into tangible actions that strengthen sustainable forest and mangrove governance.
The meeting brought together selected participants from the Mangrove and Sustainable Forest Governance Acceleration Program (MATAHARI), an initiative organized by the Ministry of Forestry with support from the Mangroves for Coastal Resilience. The program serves as an incubator, accelerator, and integrator designed to cultivate the next generation of forestry leaders in Indonesia.
Out of 118 young civil servants who participated in intensive training and capacity-building activities, 40 were selected as top performers. Twelve representatives were invited to present their innovative proposals directly to the ministerial leadership.
During the session, Minister Raja Juli Antoni expressed optimism about the future of Indonesia’s forestry sector and highlighted the critical role of young professionals in driving institutional transformation. He stressed that innovation and digital transformation are essential elements for improving forest governance but emphasized that successful ideas must ultimately be translated into concrete results.
The participants presented a range of practical initiatives, including the optimization of remote sensing technologies, digital transformation strategies, stronger community engagement, the development of high-value non-timber forest products (NTFPs), and approaches to advancing green economy and bioeconomy initiatives.
Minister Raja Juli Antoni welcomed the proposals and voiced support for ideas that can be implemented directly in the field. He stated that successful innovations could be replicated more broadly across forestry programs and indicated that he intends to monitor implementation progress firsthand.
Indonesia is home to the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem, making effective management of forests and coastal landscapes a national priority. The Ministry of Forestry views the MATAHARI Program as a strategic effort to prepare future forestry leaders capable of navigating increasingly complex environmental, social, and economic challenges.
Through an experiential learning approach, participants are trained not only in technical skills but also in adaptive leadership, persuasive communication, problem-solving, and policy innovation. Following the presentation session, participants will be required to develop and implement concrete work plans aimed at addressing root causes of forestry and mangrove management challenges through institutional, policy, and technical innovations.
The ministry considers these young forestry professionals an important part of Indonesia’s long-term vision, preparing a new generation of resilient, adaptive, and innovative leaders to safeguard forests and mangrove ecosystems while supporting the country’s goals of achieving Golden Indonesia 2045 and a greener, more sustainable future by 2060. (*)
