Minister of Forestry: Peatland Concessions Require Technical Oversight

The Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, stated that the management of concession areas within peatland ecosystems must be technically monitored, paying close attention to groundwater levels, soil moisture, and their connectivity within a single Peatland Hydrological Unit (KHG).

“If concessions already exist, then from a technical perspective, they must be supervised more effectively,” Raja Juli said following a workshop on the formation of the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency (BPGMN) in Jakarta on Thursday.

According to him, such oversight is necessary because the condition of a specific concession area cannot be separated from the overall hydrological system of the peatland region.

Concession areas located within the same Peatland Hydological Unit must be managed by considering the conditions of other parts of the same hydrological landscape.

Raja Juli added that peatland water management must also take into account local communities who have access to these areas.

He noted that water management in concession areas and community-accessed zones must be conducted comprehensively to ensure that conditions in one part of the area do not cause other parts to become dry.

The management of concessions and water regulation will be part of the discussions regarding the orientation, mandate, and programmes of the BPGMN currently being prepared by the government.