Forestry Minister Reveals Prabowo's Commitment to Restore Millions of Hectares of Critical Land
Critical land in Indonesia reaches approximately 12 million hectares, with 6.7 million hectares located within forest areas and around 1.27 million hectares in conservation zones. The government is currently seeking various schemes to accelerate ecosystem restoration, including opening cooperation with multiple parties amidst state budget constraints.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni stated that President Prabowo Subianto has provided support for ecosystem restoration efforts in Indonesia. According to him, this support serves as crucial capital to accelerate the recovery of degraded land.
"I frankly feel that I personally have received tremendous support from the President for the space to carry out this ecosystem restoration," Raja Antoni said at the commemoration of National Nature Conservation Day 2026 at the Muara Angke Nature Tourism Park in Jakarta.
Raja Juli said President Prabowo’s commitment to restoring degraded land was also conveyed in his speech at the United Nations last year. "Even in his speech at the UN last year, he loudly declared his commitment, Indonesia’s commitment, to restoring degraded land ecosystems," Raja Antoni stated.
According to Raja Juli, the government continues to seek ways for the state to be present and responsible in the process of restoring critical land. One approach is through strengthening resources, including increasing the number of Forest Police.
However, Raja Juli acknowledged that the government faces budget limitations in carrying out large-scale ecosystem restoration. This situation necessitates that the government seek other resources and cooperation schemes to accelerate ecosystem recovery.
Nevertheless, Raja Juli stressed that budget constraints must not halt restoration efforts. He noted there is still room to build cooperation with various parties to restore damaged forests and ecosystems.
"But then, once again, we must not stop and then fall into pessimism. There are many other spaces that we can still exercise to work together to restore these forests. One important aspect, of course, is opening ourselves to cooperation with any party. We must humbly say that as policymakers, as regulators, the state has limitations," Raja Juli said.
Raja Juli considers collaboration to be an important option for expanding ecosystem restoration capacity. Such cooperation is expected to help the government restore degraded areas while maintaining forest and conservation area functions.
The vast extent of critical land requiring restoration means that accelerating recovery requires policy support, resources, and the involvement of various parties. The government considers a collaborative approach necessary to enable ecosystem restoration on a broader scale.
With President Prabowo’s support and the involvement of various parties, the Ministry of Forestry is working to expand the scope of restoration to recover degraded land while maintaining the sustainability of Indonesia’s ecosystems.