Enviro News Asia, Magelang — The Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia conducted a nationwide simultaneous tree-planting initiative on 25 November 2025 to support the Indonesia Tree Planting Day. The program centered at Mount Merapi National Park in Magelang and connected virtually with similar activities in 31 other provinces across the country. The effort aims to rehabilitate degraded lands, strengthen national resilience in food, energy, and water, and mitigate hydrometeorological disasters.
Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni led the main ceremony, joined by Chair of Commission IV of the House of Representatives Siti Hediati Hariyadi (Titiek Soeharto), Member of Commission IV Darori Wonodipuro, Deputy Governor of Yogyakarta KGPAA Paku Alam X, and Central Java Regional Secretary Sumarno. The Minister also greeted regional teams participating in the simultaneous planting, including Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki in Sumedang.
Minister Antoni stated that the program reflects President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment at the United Nations to accelerate the restoration of 12 million hectares of degraded forests and lands. He emphasized that the initiative forms part of the country’s broader climate strategy and serves as a foundation for national food, energy, and water security.
He added that the new framework under Presidential Regulation 110/2025 on the Carbon Economic Value and Greenhouse Gas Control is expected to encourage private sector and community participation in restoring degraded landscapes. Antoni also highlighted ongoing law-enforcement actions against illegal mining and reiterated the importance of protecting newly planted seedlings.
Chair of Commission IV Titiek Soeharto underlined that the national tree-planting program aligns with the government’s Asta Cita agenda, which prioritizes forest rehabilitation, social forestry, and ecosystem recovery to reinforce food, energy, and water security. She affirmed legislative support for the Ministry of Forestry under Antoni’s leadership through policy alignment and budget commitments.
Director-General of Watershed and Forest Rehabilitation Management Dyah Murtiningsih reported that 2,026 hectares would be planted nationwide beginning today, with a total of 810,400 seedlings. At the Mount Merapi National Park site, 50 hectares were planted with 33,000 seedlings of species including Pulai, Nyamplung, Duwet, Pronojiwo, Ficus, Salam, and Aren.
During the event, the Minister, Commission IV leadership, and accompanying officials released a Javan Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) as a symbol of ongoing conservation efforts within the Mount Merapi National Park. The ministry also distributed productive seedlings to local communities and forest farmer groups around the park.
The Ministry of Forestry reaffirmed that the simultaneous planting program serves as a concrete step to accelerate ecosystem restoration, support national resilience, and advance Indonesia’s FoLU Net Sink 2030 target through collaboration among government institutions, communities, and the private sector. (*)
