Enviro News Asia, Bogor — The Ministry of Forestry continues to strengthen the management of Social Forestry (SF) enterprises in peatland areas through the socialization of the Partnership Project for Investment in Sustainable Landscapes (KIBAR), held at Hotel Permata, Bogor. The activity forms part of the government’s efforts to promote sustainable, productive peatland management that prioritizes community welfare, while also accelerating the development of Social Forestry enterprises and formulating joint work plans with regional Social Forestry centers.
Senior Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Forestry, Bambang Supriyanto, emphasized that peatlands play a strategic role in climate change mitigation as well as in supporting local livelihoods. He underlined that community-based peatland management is key to maintaining a balance between ecological sustainability and economic development, as stated in an official release on Thursday (February 5, 2026).
“Sustainable forest management that actively involves communities is the main foundation for safeguarding peatland ecosystems while improving welfare. Social Forestry must serve as an environmentally friendly engine of local economic growth,” Bambang said.
According to Bambang, Indonesia currently stands at a critical crossroads between rising food and energy demands and its strong commitment to environmental protection. In this context, strengthening Social Forestry on peatlands serves as a strategic instrument in addressing the challenges of sustainable development.
He also highlighted the importance of applying paludiculture, agroforestry, and agrosilvofishery techniques as adaptive models for peatland utilization that align with hydrological conditions. These approaches are considered capable of preserving ecological functions while increasing the economic value generated by local communities.
“Through paludiculture-based approaches and integrated area development, communities can manage peatlands productively without compromising their natural functions. This represents a middle path between conservation and development,” he added.
Bambang further explained that the KIBAR Project, implemented by the Directorate of Social Forestry Enterprise Development (PUPS) in collaboration with the International Tropical Peatland Center (ITPC), is designed to strengthen the economic and institutional ecosystems of Social Forestry groups in peatland areas. The project promotes the development of environmentally friendly, peatland-based productive enterprises and the application of the Integrated Area Development (IAD) approach across a single landscape.
Through the KIBAR PUPS–ITPC Project, the government seeks to enhance the institutional capacity of Social Forestry groups in forest management, financial administration, and business planning, while expanding access to microfinance, revolving funds, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnerships. The program also facilitates the preparation of area master plans, Social Forestry management plans, and the development of core and growth zones to strengthen community-scale economies.
“The KIBAR Project does not only focus on increasing production, but also on institutional strengthening and integrated area planning. This enables Social Forestry enterprises to grow sustainably and remain competitive,” Bambang explained.
Furthermore, he noted that collaboration with ITPC and international partners aims to reinforce Indonesia’s climate diplomacy, document best practices in community-based peatland management, and support the integration of Social Forestry with the Economic Value of Carbon (EVC) scheme.
“We want to ensure that the success of Social Forestry on peatlands can serve as a national and international reference in supporting the achievement of the FOLU Net Sink 2030 target,” he said.
Beyond technical and economic aspects, Bambang stressed the importance of good governance and regulatory compliance. Each Social Forestry group, he said, must possess a long-term management plan, environmental documentation, and a continuous monitoring and evaluation system.
Through this socialization activity, the Ministry of Forestry expects to build strong synergy among central and local governments, facilitators, international partners, and community groups in developing Social Forestry enterprises on peatlands. Going forward, the outcomes of this initiative will serve as the basis for formulating an action plan to accelerate the development of Social Forestry enterprises that prioritize environmental protection, community welfare, and the strengthening of Indonesia’s green economy. (*)
