Mitigating Deforestation in Indonesia

Overview

Indonesia is home to some of the worlds most biodiverse rainforests, covering roughly 1.2million square kilometres. Over the past two decades, the country has lost more than 30% of its primary forest cover, primarily due to landuse change. Deforestation releases massive quantities of carbon, threatens the livelihoods of indigenous peoples, and undermines global climate goals.

This page outlines the principal causes of forest loss and presents a range of mitigation actions that governments, businesses, NGOs, and local communities are implementing to reverse the trend.

Main Drivers of Deforestation

• Palm oil plantations Expansion for export markets accounts for roughly 40% of recent forest clearance.
• Timber extraction Both legal and illegal logging degrade forest structure and open forest edges to fire.
• Subsistence agriculture and shifting cultivation Smallscale farmers clear forest for rice, maize, and cash crops.
• Mining and infrastructure Roads, dams, and mineral extraction fragment forest habitats.
• Forest fires Often ignited to clear land, they spread rapidly during the dry season, smoldering for months.

Mitigation Strategies

1. Strengthening Governance

Indonesia has introduced a suite of policy tools, including the Moratorium on New Forest Conversions (2009, renewed 2019) and the One Map Policy that resolves overlapping land claims. Effective implementation relies on transparent permitting, stronger lawenforcement, and community monitoring.

2. Sustainable Palm Oil

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification encourages growers to avoid clearing highconservation value forests. Companies are increasingly adopting ZeroDeforestation Commitments and traceability systems that use satellite imagery and blockchain.

3. CommunityBased Forest Management

Recognising customary rights, the government has granted Community Forest status to over 2million hectares. These areas are managed by indigenous groups who practice selective logging and agroforestry, reducing pressure on surrounding public forests.

4. Reforestation and Restoration

Largescale initiatives such as the One Billion Trees program aim to restore degraded lands using native species. Restoration projects combine carboncredit financing, livelihood training, and fireprevention patrols.

5. Financial Mechanisms

• Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) Communities receive annual payments for maintaining watershed and carbon functions.
• Green Bonds Indonesian banks issue bonds earmarked for forest conservation projects.
• International Climate Funds REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) projects provide performancebased payouts.

6. Technology and Monitoring

Highresolution satellite platforms (e.g., Planet, Sentinel2) allow realtime detection of illegal clearing. Mobile apps enable forest rangers and citizens to report violations instantly, while AI models predict fire risk zones.

Success Stories

Kerinci Seblat National Park

Through a partnership between the Ministry of Environment and the World Wildlife Fund, illegal logging dropped by 60% between 2016 and 2021. Community patrols equipped with GPS devices reported 1200 illegal activities, most of which were halted on sight.

PT. Sinar Mas Groups Sustainable Palm Oil Initiative

By 2023, the company reduced forest conversion on its concession lands by 85% and restored 12000ha of peatland using ecohydrological techniques that rewet the soil and prevent fires.

Peatland Restoration in Central Kalimantan

A REDD+ pilot project rewet 4500ha of highly degraded peat, cutting carbon emissions by an estimated 4Mt COe per year. The project also created 300 jobs in firemonitoring and nursery management.

Future Outlook

To stay within the 1.5C pathway, Indonesia must cut deforestation rates by at least 50% by 2030. This will require:

• Full enforcement of the moratorium, including clear penalties for violations.
• Expansion of community forest rights and capacitybuilding for local governance.
• Scaling up of climate finance, with transparent verification of emissions reductions.
• Greater privatesector commitment to zerodeforestation supply chains.
• Continued investment in satellitebased monitoring and AIdriven earlywarning systems.

When these elements work together, Indonesia can protect its remaining primary forests, restore degraded landscapes, and contribute meaningfully to global climate mitigation.