OPINION
Vanda Mutia Dewi
Executive Director, Greenomics Indonesia
June 5, 2020
The results of a study by Greenomics Indonesia reveal that 1.2 million hectares of state forest areas - 18 times the size of Jakarta - have been released to make way for palm oil plantations in the provinces of Papua and West Papua in the past 20 years (2000 - 2019).
One million of these hectares, equivalent to 15.2 times the size of Jakarta, were relinquished during the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration.
Meanwhile, during the ongoing tenure of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, a mere 172.4 thousand hectares of state forest areas have been released to be developed into palm oil plantations, or 2.6 times the size of Jakarta.
The data shows that 83.22% of the state forest areas released over the last 20 years for the expansion of palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua occurred in the Yudhoyono regime.
In contrast, just 14.32% of the forest areas allocated for palm oil plantations have taken place in President Jokowi’s era. The remaining 2.46%, or roughly 30 thousand hectares, less than the half-size of Jakarta, has been handed over in 2020.
The Greenomics study does not rely on assumptions, but refers to legal evidence based on official data from the Indonesian forestry authorities related to the release of state forest areas for palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua from 2000 to the end of December 2019.
The data presented here does not include palm oil permits issued by local governments in the two provinces.
Thick ink
The release of state forest areas for palm oil plantations in the provinces of Papua and West Papua needs to be underlined in thick ink, especially when talking about the level of natural forest loss in the two provinces.
Data on the release of state forest areas for palm oil plantations in the two provinces forms part of a historical journey.
When discussing the ongoing issue of deforestation in the two provinces, it is necessary to first look at which regime has granted most of the state forest areas to be turned into palm oil plantations.
It is easy to see in whose era the release of state forest areas for palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua took place very quickly. This legal fact cannot be covered up with any other narrative.
Conversely, we can also see in whose era the release of forest areas to expand palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua was done very slowly.
The Yudhoyono administration period proved to be the time when the most expansive and fastest release of state forest areas for the expansion of palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua occurred.
While it is certain that the loss of natural forests in Papua and West Papua from year to year, due to the expansion of palm oil plantations, will continue to be associated with the state forest areas released for this sector from 2000 to 2019, it is important to note that 83.22% of these areas were released during the Yudhoyono administration.
In May, Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya made clear efforts to identify major parts of areas with good forest cover in existing concessions, including in Papua and West Papua, to be maintained as conservation forests. These efforts are ongoing and will continue. This move on the part of President Jokowi's administration deserves great appreciation.
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OPINION
Vanda Mutia Dewi
Executive Director, Greenomics Indonesia
June 5, 2020
The results of a study by Greenomics Indonesia reveal that 1.2 million hectares of state forest areas - 18 times the size of Jakarta - have been released to make way for palm oil plantations in the provinces of Papua and West Papua in the past 20 years (2000 - 2019).
One million of these hectares, equivalent to 15.2 times the size of Jakarta, were relinquished during the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration.
Meanwhile, during the ongoing tenure of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, a mere 172.4 thousand hectares of state forest areas have been released to be developed into palm oil plantations, or 2.6 times the size of Jakarta.
The data shows that 83.22% of the state forest areas released over the last 20 years for the expansion of palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua occurred in the Yudhoyono regime.
In contrast, just 14.32% of the forest areas allocated for palm oil plantations have taken place in President Jokowi’s era. The remaining 2.46%, or roughly 30 thousand hectares, less than the half-size of Jakarta, has been handed over in 2020.
The Greenomics study does not rely on assumptions, but refers to legal evidence based on official data from the Indonesian forestry authorities related to the release of state forest areas for palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua from 2000 to the end of December 2019.
The data presented here does not include palm oil permits issued by local governments in the two provinces.
Thick ink
The release of state forest areas for palm oil plantations in the provinces of Papua and West Papua needs to be underlined in thick ink, especially when talking about the level of natural forest loss in the two provinces.
Data on the release of state forest areas for palm oil plantations in the two provinces forms part of a historical journey.
When discussing the ongoing issue of deforestation in the two provinces, it is necessary to first look at which regime has granted most of the state forest areas to be turned into palm oil plantations.
It is easy to see in whose era the release of state forest areas for palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua took place very quickly. This legal fact cannot be covered up with any other narrative.
Conversely, we can also see in whose era the release of forest areas to expand palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua was done very slowly.
The Yudhoyono administration period proved to be the time when the most expansive and fastest release of state forest areas for the expansion of palm oil plantations in Papua and West Papua occurred.
While it is certain that the loss of natural forests in Papua and West Papua from year to year, due to the expansion of palm oil plantations, will continue to be associated with the state forest areas released for this sector from 2000 to 2019, it is important to note that 83.22% of these areas were released during the Yudhoyono administration.
In May, Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya made clear efforts to identify major parts of areas with good forest cover in existing concessions, including in Papua and West Papua, to be maintained as conservation forests. These efforts are ongoing and will continue. This move on the part of President Jokowi's administration deserves great appreciation.
RELATED STORIES
