East Kalimantan Forestry Service: Increasing land cover to restore natural carrying capacity
Samarinda (ANTARA) - The East Kalimantan Provincial Forestry Office is driving an increase in vegetation land cover, particularly in river catchment areas (DAS), in order to restore nature’s carrying capacity and mitigate the risk of ecological disasters in the region.
“This increase in land cover is a crucial step towards improving the condition of the ecosystem so that nature’s carrying capacity in absorbing water, reducing sedimentation and preventing floods can return to optimal levels,” said the Acting Head of the East Kalimantan Forestry Office, Rusmadi, in Samarinda on Friday.
Based on the Forestry Office’s Strategic Plan (Renstra), the provincial government projects that the target for additional land cover in catchment areas could reach 465,671 hectares by 2026.
The forest ecosystem restoration is targeted to be progressively and sustainably encouraged until it covers an area of 542,914 hectares by 2030.
In addition to restoring riparian areas, he added, the acceleration of vegetation land cover expansion is also a strategic solution for the regional government in addressing the extent of critical land in East Kalimantan, which is currently recorded at 274,477 hectares.
The reforestation of degraded forest and land is believed by the office to contribute directly to achieving greenhouse gas (GRK) emission reduction targets and to supporting the realisation of an environment with climate resilience.
Forest land cover in East Kalimantan currently stands at around 62 percent of the province’s total area. This area is equivalent to approximately 7.9 million hectares, encompassing primary and secondary dryland forest, mangrove forest, swamp forest and plantation forest.
“Ultimately, restoring the function of land cover is not merely about curbing the potential damage to nature’s carrying capacity, but also strengthening the foundation of biodiversity conservation for the sustainability of residents’ lives,” said Rusmadi.