Answering Misleading Data Deforestation Of Minister Siti, Mahfud: I Use Global Forest Watch

Vice Presidential Candidate Mahfud MD During the second round of the Vice Presidential Candidate debate, Sunday, January 21 (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Vice Presidential Candidate number three, Mahfud MD said he used data that was different from that of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) when discussing deforestation in the fourth debate on Sunday night, January 21. He said he used data from Global Forest Watch (GFW). This was conveyed by Mahfud when asked about the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya, who accused the deforestation data submitted incorrectly. “ Not a mistake but a difference in reading data. What Mrs. Siti Nurbaya conveyed was net deforestation. The data at the KLH and BPS were those that were there, ” Mahfud told reporters in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, January 23. "Meanwhile, the data I read from, the world's Global Forest Watch," he continued. Mahfud said the data from GFW captured the overall loss of forest cover within a certain period of time. “ Meanwhile, net deforestation is a gross deforestation and reduced reforestation so that the rest of the notes by Mrs. Siti Nurbaya,” said the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam). Even so, he emphasized that these two data were not wrong even though they were different. He even invited to ask for details about the numbers he called to Andi Widjajanto, who is the Deputy for Politics 5.0 of the Ganjar-Mahfud National Winning Team (TPN). “ Mrs. Siti Nurbaya reduces with additions but in other places, the damaged ones are not covered first, not best. That's all, it's okay, this is good. It's both true, just want to read from where, gross or net,” he said. “Data soal ini dari tahun ke tahun, tempat ke tempat itu jika Andi Wijayanto di TPN lengkap perbedaan data count,” sambung eks Ketua Mahkamah Konstitusi (MK) tersebut. Previously reported, Siti Nurbaya denied the data presented by vice presidential candidate number 3, Mahfud MD regarding deforestation of forests that occurred in Indonesia. During the debate, Mahfud said deforestation reached 12.5 million hectares. " “ I have to say that the data is wrong. I can tell the real data. If it is used since 2013, there is a concept problem. And there is a problem how to read the data," said Siti Nurbaya when met by a number of journalists at the Media Center of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Senayan, South Jakarta (Jaksel), Monday, January 22. He explained that the deforestation rate for forests in Indonesia in 2013 was 730 thousand hectares. Then in 2015, the deforestation rate increased to 1.09 million hectares.

"So from 0.73 million hectares it rose to 1.09 million hectares due to the El Nino disaster in 2015. Then in 2016 it fell to 630 thousand hectares, continued in 2017 to 480 thousand hectares, 2018 to 440 thousand hectares,” he said. "In 2019, Indonesia experienced El Nino again, but not as bad as in 2015. Where, the deforestation rate is 460 thousand. Now in 2022, we are only deforestation 104 thousand hectares," said Siti.