Riau targets reforestation of 66,704 hectares of land in Tesso Nilo National Park

The Tesso Nilo National Park Restoration Acceleration Team (TP2TNTN) in Riau Province aims to reforest 66,704 hectares of land gradually by 2028 so the area can again function optimally as a conservation zone. The head of the team, who is also the Acting Governor of Riau, SF Hariyanto, said the assessment of land ownership conducted so far identifies about 10,600 hectares with 3,916 households. ‘Relocation that has been carried out covers 633 hectares with 227 households. There remains a requirement of about 9,966 hectares of alternative land which has been clearly mapped,’ he said. ‘God willing, with a persuasive approach, open dialogue, and certainty of a fair solution, in the future more communities will voluntarily follow the same steps,’ he added. Going forward, the agency will continue to work with parallel focuses. These include integrated area security and enforcement, provision of alternative land with legal certainty and zonation-based reforestation, as well as continuous, systematic, measurable, and clearly controlled supervision. ‘All these stages require adequate operational strengthening to ensure the acceleration of recovery up to 2028 can be effective and consistent. We hope policy support and funding from the central government can be strengthened in line with the targets set,’ he said.