Government Begins Reforestation of 2,577 Hectares of Tesso Nilo Lands
The government has begun reforestation in the Tesso Nilo National Park area in Riau. For 2026, the target is to reforest 2,577 hectares of land.
Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, described the restoration as part of efforts to recover an ecosystem that has long faced various problems.
“Alhamdulillah today we begin reforestation, greening again, reforesting the Tesso Nilo National Park. This is part of a series of efforts by the central and regional governments to restore the ecosystem of the Tesso Nilo National Park,” Raja Juli said in a statement on Wednesday (4 March).
Raja Juli noted that the Tesso Nilo issue is not a new problem. It has been ongoing for a long time and is complex.
Raja Juli stated that under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, the Tesso Nilo issue has begun to be unraveled.
“This Tesso Nilo issue is a long-standing one, not something that happened yesterday. It is a problem that has festered, because it has indeed become acute. However, thanks be to God, under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, this issue is now starting to be untangled,” he said.
He explained that in recent months the government has relocated land for communities who previously farmed in the area. This step is taken as part of a long-term solution.
In addition, further to this, Raja Juli said the government has also eliminated palm oil within the Tesso Nilo National Park.
“Friends who farmed in Tesso Nilo have received replacement land as part of our search for common ground, not a point of contention. We are unravelling the problem, not adding to the tangle that is already knotted,” he added.
For information, the 2026 reforestation target includes 2,557 hectares with cross-sector support. The launching activity for reforestation took place across an area of about 400 hectares, with 2,000 saplings planted as the initial phase of a total restoration target of 69,000 hectares.
The launching and planting event was attended by Riau Police Chief Irjen Herry Heryawan, Acting Riau Governor SF Haryanto, and Deputy Environment Minister Diaz Hendropriono.
“Inshallah with the support of all parties, especially the Governor, the Pangdam, the Kajati, the Kapolda, the Regent, and all stakeholders, the Tesso Nilo National Park, which is very rich and famous in the world, will be able to be restored. Inshallah our children and grandchildren will reap the rewards of what we do today,” he concluded.
(dis/ugo)