East Java Governor Urges People to Protect Nature by Planting and Caring for Trees

He also assessed that planting trees plays an important role in disaster mitigation, especially in landslide and flood-prone areas, as well as strengthening the quality of river basins through the provision of seedlings and planting movements.

SURABAYA - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa invites local people to maintain the sustainability of nature by planting, caring for, and caring for the environment to coincide with the commemoration of the One Million Tree Movement Day which is commemorated every January 10.

"Today is the right momentum for all of us to work together to protect nature by planting, caring for, and caring for our surrounding environment," he said at the Grahadi State Building, Surabaya, Saturday.

He emphasized that environmental concerns can start with simple steps, such as planting trees around the house, mountain slopes, coastal areas, and reforestation of forests.

The effort is considered a real contribution to environmental preservation.

"I think planting these trees is part of our efforts to maintain nature, when we take care of nature, nature will also take care of us," he said.

He gave an example of personal commitment by routinely planting trees and mangroves (mangroves) in various areas of East Java.

The last mangrove planting was carried out in Watu Mejo, Pacitan at the end of 2025, while previously in Bangkalan in the Mangrove Festival series.

"Any tree. Although I often invite people to plant mangroves because mangroves can absorb five times more carbon dioxide emissions than others," he said.

Based on the 2024 National Mangrove Map data, the area of mangroves in East Java has increased significantly in the last four years.

The area increased by 3,618 hectares or 13.29 percent, from 27,221 hectares in 2021 to 30,839.3 hectares today, making East Java the province with the largest mangrove area in Java.

"Based on the National Mangrove Map 2024, East Java is recorded as the province with the largest mangrove area in Java Island. In the last four years, the area has increased by 3,618 hectares or 13.29 percent," he said.

In the land sector, environmental achievements show a positive trend with a decrease in critical land area from 432,225 hectares in 2018 to 370,544 hectares in 2024. This achievement reflects the consistency of maintaining forest and land cover.

According to Khofifah, the ecological mission through tree planting also has economic value, including through carbon trading and forestry downstream products.

This is reflected in the achievement of the East Java Forest Farmers Group Economic Transaction Value (NTE-KTH) in 2025 which reached IDR 1.63 trillion or 48.15 percent of the total national of IDR 3.40 trillion.

In addition, the East Java Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) Economic Value (Nekon) in 2025 was recorded at Rp447.22 billion or 29.36 percent of the national achievement of Rp1.52 trillion, and is the highest in Indonesia.

He said the habit of planting trees had been done with his family since 1991, even becoming a tradition every anniversary.

"Therefore, I invite everyone, who usually has events or ceremonies where there are usually flower boards, can be converted into a living tree so that life is alive, 'urip gawe urup'," he said.