DSS Jaga Rimba Strengthens Forestry Ministry's Digital Transformation

Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni has reinforced efforts to strengthen and transform forestry governance through system integration, enhanced transparency and accountability, and the use of data intelligence in decision-making. “My simple hope is that we can provide outsiders with easier and more comfortable business processes, more measurable incoming investment, and simplified licensing timelines to prevent future problems,” the Minister stated in Jakarta on Wednesday (17/6). One of the Ministry’s key initiatives is the digital system Decision Support System (DSS) Kehutanan, named ‘Jaga Rimba’. The Minister explained that the system is designed to strengthen the supervision of Indonesia’s forest areas, which he believes face increasingly complex challenges. “The idea behind DSS is actually simple. Based on my experience over the past few weeks and months in this ministry we are proud of, there are things we need to fix, things we need to improve,” said Minister Raja Antoni. He elaborated that DSS Jaga Rimba integrates various applications across directorates general, thematic geospatial information, and regulations to understand the interconnections between forest areas, licensing, and rights and obligations holders. “So the idea is simple, but I believe it has historical urgency to improve our performance. It is not just an application; we are trying to reform our way of thinking. There should be no more sectoral ego,” he stated. The Minister noted that DSS Jaga Rimba is a crucial instrument in advancing the ‘One Map Policy’ for forestry, serving as a shared reference in area management and supervision. The system is currently supported by 82 Thematic Geospatial Information layers produced by 24 echelon II work units and 123 Rules and Relations, enabling more comprehensive and accurate data analysis. Additionally, DSS Jaga Rimba is equipped with an Early Warning System feature that can automatically send notifications if potential licensing overlaps, application intersections, or hotspots that could trigger forest and land fires are detected. This feature is expected to accelerate data-based mitigation and follow-up actions. “Although this application is not yet perfect, our simple intention is to protect the forests, protect the jungle, and at the same time protect our life as a nation,” said Raja Antoni.