Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Amid Indonesia’s push toward data-driven governance, the Ministry of Forestry has achieved a new milestone. On Tuesday, 18 November 2025, the Ministry received the Bhumandala Ariti (Bronze) Award at the 2025 Bhumandala Award ceremony organized by the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) at the Sukarman Auditorium, National Library of Indonesia in Jakarta.
The award was given for the innovation TAPAL21 — an integrated geospatial data and service management system developed by the Forest Area Consolidation Center (BPKH) Region XXI under the Directorate of Forest Resource Inventory and Monitoring.
TAPAL21 has been recognized as one of the most progressive breakthroughs in the forestry sector this year. The system integrates spatial databases within a single geoportal compliant with the One Map Policy. Through an interactive mapping platform, forest-area clarification can now be conducted in real time — a process that previously required long, cross-unit coordination.
The impact is significant: service time has been reduced drastically from 17 days to just 5 working days, workforce requirements decreased by 33 percent, and applicants no longer bear transportation costs. Internal reports also show user satisfaction reaching 92.2 percent, with the system remaining stable even during crisis situations.
BIG Head Muh Aris Marfai personally presented the award in the Ministry/Agency category. Representing the Minister of Forestry, the Ministry’s Secretary-General, Mahfudz, attended to receive the award.
“This recognition proves that our digital transformation is moving in the right direction. TAPAL21 has made services faster, more transparent, and more efficient, delivering real benefits to the public,” Mahfudz stated after the ceremony.
He added that strengthening geospatial systems is an essential part of the government’s ongoing Bureaucratic Reform agenda.
The Bhumandala Award serves as the government’s appreciation for innovations in the utilization of Geospatial Information for development planning and public services. For the Ministry of Forestry, this award reflects not only technological excellence but also the long-term efforts of BPKH Region XXI to improve the accuracy of forest-area mapping.
“This is not merely a technological achievement, but a commitment to delivering precise, transparent, and reliable forestry data,” Mahfudz emphasized.
The Ministry views this achievement as a momentum to reinforce data interoperability, expand mapping technologies, and enhance cross-agency collaboration within the national geospatial ecosystem.
Appreciation was also extended to BIG and all technical units of BPKH Region XXI for driving this innovation forward.
With this accomplishment, the forestry sector adds another milestone in its digital leap—toward more accountable, efficient, and sustainable forest-area governance. (*)
