13 National Parks Targeted for Financial Independence by 2030
The Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, stated that Indonesia is currently moving towards inclusive and sustainable nature-based finance. In a statement received in Jakarta on Friday (26/6), the Minister emphasised that Indonesia is developing a new approach to conservation management that no longer relies solely on public funding, but instead opens space for credible and high-integrity investment that provides tangible benefits for society, nature, and the climate.
“Indonesia is not just formulating a financing strategy. We are building a new paradigm for conservation governance, where national parks achieve financial independence, local communities become primary partners, the private sector plays a meaningful role, and the state provides a strong regulatory framework to ensure all mechanisms operate accountably and sustainably,” said Raja Juli and Antoni.
As part of the directives from President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia has formed a Task Force for Innovative Financing for the Management of National Parks and Iconic Species Conservation. The Task Force targets at least 13 national parks and two iconic species conservation landscapes to achieve financial self-sufficiency by 2030. To achieve this target, Indonesia is implementing a dual strategy through regulatory reform and institutional strengthening, while simultaneously encouraging investment mobilisation through the development of innovative financial instruments and strategic partnerships.
Furthermore, Indonesia is introducing the concept of “Natural Ecosystems as a New Asset Class,” an approach that views natural ecosystems as strategic assets capable of generating sustainable economic benefits while maintaining ecological functions. Various instruments under development include carbon credits, biodiversity credits, species bonds, ecotourism, bioprospecting, the utilisation of non-timber forest products, and various public-private partnership schemes.
This approach, according to Raja Juli Antoni, is expected to unlock new investment opportunities that support conservation while improving the welfare of communities surrounding these areas. As a primary pilot project, Indonesia is introducing the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) in Aceh. This initiative, he continued, is designed to demonstrate that wildlife protection, habitat connectivity, and community economic development can proceed in an integrated manner within a single conservation landscape.
He also invited the global investment community, development partners, philanthropic institutions, and various stakeholders to collaborate in supporting Indonesia’s conservation finance transformation. “We welcome partnerships in the form of expertise support, technology transfer, programme implementation support, or mutually agreed innovative financing. Global collaboration will accelerate our efforts in preserving biodiversity while creating sustainable economic benefits,” he said.
He noted that Indonesia has shown real progress in forest management and climate action. Indonesia holds a strategic interest in strengthening the global carbon market, given that it possesses one of the largest tropical forest areas in the world. This major step will be followed by the launch of the Carbon Unit Registry System (SRUK) on 9 July 2026 as the primary infrastructure for the national carbon market.
One of the efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Forestry is through the “Jaga Rimba” Forestry Decision Support System (DSS) digital system. Conflicts regarding customary forest areas often arise due to differing views on defining rights, area management, and law enforcement in forest regions.
As of May 2026, the area of forest and land fires (karhutla) was recorded at approximately 81,000 hectares, an increase compared to the same period during El Niño in 2019 and 2023. Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni revealed that the extent of forest and land fires up to May 2026 reached around 81,000 hectares, which is higher than the same period last year.
Over the last eight years, forest exploitation in these customary areas has continued, triggering serious environmental damage such as landslides and the threat of flash floods. Speaking at the UNFF21 forum in New York, Minister Raja Juli Antoni noted that Indonesia has successfully reduced forest and land fires by 86 per cent over the last 10 years.