Indonesia steps up protection of national parks
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has recently decided to expand the forestry police force from around 5,000 personnel at present to 70,000 in order to strengthen protection of forests, nature reserves and national parks nationwide.
The President's Special Envoy for Climate and Energy Hashim Djojohadikusumo said the additional personnel will be deployed to 57 national parks currently assessed as having weak security and facing strong pressure from illegal activities.
Strengthening capacity for forestry police is seen as a key measure to protect Indonesia’s forests, wildlife and strategic ecosystems, which are under increasing pressure from illegal logging and land-use conversion. Funding for the plan will come from the state budget, while technical implementation will be coordinated by the Ministry of Forestry.
The policy is linked to the government’s priority conservation programmes, including the restoration of strategic areas such as Way Kambas National Park in southern Sumatra and the protection of critical habitats for wildlife, particularly the Sumatran elephant.
President Prabowo has also ordered stricter enforcement of environmental regulations, including waste management and forest protection, along with tougher penalties for violations.
According to the special envoy, forest and ecosystem protection is regarded as a foundation for sustainable development and part of Indonesia’s commitment to the global climate agenda, including the development of carbon markets based on nature-based solutions.