West Java Governor Bans Permits for Tourism and Housing in Forest Areas

Bandung (ANTARA) - West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has officially instructed all regents and mayors in West Java to stop issuing permits for the development of tourism facilities and housing in forest and plantation areas in order to curb the risks of natural disasters.

This measure is set out in Circular Letter No. 60/PEM.04.04.01/ASDA EKBANG, which aims to protect West Java’s ecological defences from threats of flooding and landslides due to uncontrolled land use conversion.

“Regents and mayors must be more proactive in controlling land use conversion and restoring conservation functions, particularly in forest and plantation areas,” said Dedi, who is familiarly known as KDM, in Bandung on Monday.

Dedi emphasised that halting these permits is urgently needed to maintain environmental sustainability.

This instruction is strengthened by Governor’s Regulation No. 11 of 2025 on Controlling Land Use Conversion.

Through this regulation, the governor has full authority to conduct strict oversight, provide guidance to land rights holders, and collaborate to restore land functions according to their designated purposes.

In its implementation, Dedi stated that the West Java Provincial Government has prepared comprehensive resources, from funding and facilities to human resources, to support massive efforts in controlling and rehabilitating land across all regencies and cities.

In addition to oversight aspects, this policy also includes in-depth evaluations of the performance of regional apparatus related to maintaining the continuity of protected areas and ecological functions that are key to the safety of West Java residents from future disaster threats.