Indonesia Lirik Nature Finance, Change the Natural Ecosystem into a Strategic Economic Asset
JAKARTA - The Indonesian government is committed to shifting the paradigm of environmental management towards inclusive and sustainable nature-based conservation financing. This step is taken so that the management of conservation areas is no longer entirely dependent on public funding or the state budget.
Minister of Forestry (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni emphasized that Indonesia is building a new approach. The government opens the widest possible space for credible, integrated investments, and provides real benefits for people, nature, and the climate.
"Indonesia is not only developing a financing strategy. We are building a new paradigm of conservation governance," Raja Juli Antoni said in a written statement in Jakarta, Friday (26/6/2026).
Menhut added, in this new paradigm, national parks are encouraged to have financial independence, the community becomes the main partner, and the private sector plays a meaningful role. Meanwhile, the state is present to provide a strong regulatory framework to ensure that all mechanisms run accountable.
Mandiri Financial Targets 13 National Parks by 2030
As part of President Prabowo Subianto's direction, Indonesia has formed an Innovative Financing Task Force for the Management of National Parks and the Conservation of Iconic Species.
This task force is targeted to be able to bring at least 13 national parks and two conservation landscapes of iconic species to the level of financing independence by 2030.
To achieve this ambitious target, the Ministry of Forestry implements a dual strategy:
Regulatory Reform & Institutional Strengthening: Drafting a strong and accountable legal umbrella. Investment Mobilization: Encourage innovative financial instruments and strategic partnerships with various global and domestic parties.Introducing Natural Ecosystems as a New Asset Class
Indonesia also introduced a new concept, namely Natural Ecosystems as a New Asset Class. This approach views natural ecosystems as strategic assets that are capable of generating sustainable economic benefits without damaging their ecological functions.
Some of the innovative financial instruments being developed include:
Carbon credits (carbon credits) and biodiversity credits. Species conservation bonds. Ecotourism and bioprospecting. Utilization of Non-Wood Forest Products (HHBK). Government and private partnership scheme (KPBU)."This approach is expected to open up new investment opportunities that support conservation while improving the welfare of the people around the area," said Raja Juli.
Pilot Project: Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI)
As a tangible proof on the ground, Indonesia introduced a major pilot project named Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) in Aceh.
This initiative is specifically designed to prove that wildlife protection, habitat connectivity, and community economic development can run in tandem in an integrated conservation landscape.
At the end of his statement, Minister of Finance Raja Juli Antoni invited the global investment community, development partners, philanthropic institutions, and stakeholders to collaborate.
"We welcome partnerships in the form of expertise support, technology transfer, program implementation support, and innovative financing that have been agreed upon together. Global collaboration will accelerate our efforts to maintain biodiversity while creating sustainable economic benefits," he concluded.