Ministry uses social forestry to boost community welfare

“Social forestry management access must reach communities at the grassroots level,” said Catur Endah Prasetiani, Director General of Social Forestry at the Ministry of Forestry, when asked about forest-based community empowerment in the Core Government Center Area (KIPP) of Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in Sepaku, Penajam Paser Utara District, East Kalimantan, on Monday.

She stressed that the Social Forestry Program must not stop at granting forest management access alone, but should be supported by collaboration among the government, private sector, civil society organizations, and other partners.

The program, she explained, is designed to strengthen community economic empowerment through sustainable forest management, thereby improving livelihoods while safeguarding forest conservation.

“Integrated management from upstream to downstream, expanded business opportunities, and strengthened assistance for communities must continue to be pursued,” she said.

Nationally, the Social Forestry Program has so far granted communities access to manage 8.33 million hectares of forest land across various regions of Indonesia.

According to Prasetiani, the access has been formalized through 11,192 decrees benefiting approximately 1.4 million households nationwide.

“In East Kalimantan alone, approved social forestry areas have reached 360,947.82 hectares through 223 permits granted to 23,451 households,” she added.

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Translator: Nyaman, Azis Kurmala