East Kalimantan Provincial Government Proposes Changes To 640,864 Hectares Of Forest Areas To KLHK

Illustration. Ladang milik warga di hutan Gunung Meratus, Kabupaten Hulu Sungai Tengah, Kalimantan Selatan (Kalsel), Kamis 25 November 2021. (Antara-Bayu Pratama)

The East Kalimantan Provincial Government (Kaltim) has submitted a proposal to change the regional spatial plan (RTRW) for forest areas to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK).

East Kalimantan Governor Isran Noor explained the proposed amendment to the East Kalimantan forest area covering an area of 640,864.70 hectares.

With the details consisting of changes in the designation of forest areas covering an area of 597,398.40 hectares (ha), changes in the function of forest areas covering an area of 28,370.70 hectares and the appointment of forest areas covering an area of 15,095.60 hectares.

"The total area of the Forest and Conservation Area in East Kalimantan is approximately 8.4 million hectares and we only propose 8 percent to change forest areas," said Isran in an official statement, Wednesday, March 1, which was confiscated by Antara.

On that occasion, Isran clarified the proposed review of the East Kalimantan Province Spatial Planning (RTRW) at a meeting chaired by the Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya in the LHK Ministerial Meeting Room, Jalan Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta.

Isran revealed, when compared to the East Kalimantan region covering an area of approximately 12.8 million hectares, the proposed forest area change is only about 5 percent of the total area in East Kalimantan.

"The East Kalimantan Provincial Government hopes that the proposal submission can be immediately followed up in accordance with the provisions of the legislation and not for long, only four days has been completed," explained Isran.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Forestry and Environmental Planning of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ruandha Agung Sugardiman explained, technical review of the proposed amendment to the designation and function of forest areas in the context of a review of the East Kalimantan Provincial RTRW was proposed through a letter from the Governor of East Kalimantan to the Minister of Environment and Forestry No. 522/6071/EK dated November 21, 2022 regarding the Proposal for Changes in Forest Areas for East Kalimantan Province covering an area of 570,183.85 hectares.

"Followed by the letter of the Governor of East Kalimantan Number 650/1121/PR-KASIPTR dated November 9, 2022 regarding the revision II proposed to change forest areas for East Kalimantan Province covering an area of 640,864.7 hectares," he explained.

The proposal to change the designation of forest areas has the potential to cause a reduction in forest closures by 337,705.69 hectares or about 4.33 percent of the total forest closures in East Kalimantan Province, so that the proportion of forest closures has the potential to experience shortages from 60.67 percent to 56.34 percent.

The Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya, explained that basically President Joko Widodo gave an order that he must maintain the cover of the Forest, one of the factors being due to the program to reduce greenhouse gas or FCPF in East Kalimantan.

"Kaltim is very profitable, because it must maintain the forest as much as 70 percent of the Green Rimba Zone," explained Siti Nurbaya.