Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Ministry of Forestry stated that timber carried away by floods in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra qualifies as disaster-related specific waste and requires special handling to ensure public safety and health. Within a humanitarian framework, the government allows limited community use of the timber to support rehabilitation and reconstruction in disaster-affected areas.
The policy refers to Government Regulation No. 27 of 2020 on the Management of Specific Waste, which regulates waste generated by disasters and mandates particular treatment methods. In the forestry sector, the handling of flood-carried timber also follows Law No. 18 of 2013 on the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction to maintain proper governance and accountability.
The Head of the Bureau of Public Relations and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Forestry, Krisdianto, said the ministry had issued official guidance to affected local governments on December 8, 2025, through a directive from the Directorate General of Sustainable Forest Management. The directive emphasizes that the use of flood-carried timber serves humanitarian purposes only, particularly for emergency response, rehabilitation, and post-disaster reconstruction.
He explained that the timber may be categorized as found wood and therefore must be reported to village authorities to ensure transparency. The ministry stressed that the policy does not open opportunities for exploitation or illegal timber laundering, but rather forms part of a measured and responsible disaster response.
The Ministry of Forestry reaffirmed its commitment to collaborative disaster management while safeguarding sustainable forest governance. Through this approach, the government aims to support social and economic recovery for affected communities in parallel with environmental protection and legal certainty in the forestry sector. (*)
