The Government is Preparing Rp2 Trillion for Reforestation and Forest Conservation

Illustration of forest clearing or deforestation (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Special Presidential Envoy for Energy and Environment Hashim Djojohadikusumo stated that the government in the era of President Prabowo is committed to strengthening environmental preservation through large-scale forest afforestation programs.

He revealed that the government had prepared a budget of up to Rp. 2 trillion to support the conservation and development of forest areas as part of the national strategy to deal with environmental damage and climate change.

According to Hashim, Indonesia has taken an important step by targeting the reforestation of around 12.7 million hectares of lost forest areas. This policy is considered a major change in the direction of national environmental policy.

"The Indonesian government will allocate a budget of US$ 120 million or Rp. 2 trillion for conservation and development, such as in the Way Kambas National Park in Lampung," he said at the Indonesia Economic Summit in Jakarta, Wednesday, February 4.

Way Kambas is known as an important conservation area that is the habitat of Sumatran elephants as well as other protected species. Government investment in the area is expected to strengthen wildlife protection as well as restore degraded forest ecosystems.

Furthermore, Hashim emphasized that the funding was entirely sourced from the state budget. This step is considered to have a wide impact, not only on environmental sustainability, but also on the sustainability of national development.

"This uses Indonesian original funds, not donor funds," said Hashim.