TEMPO.CO, Bogor - The forest area in Java Island continues to shrink and is reported at only about 24 percent, which is around 128,297 square kilometers, said the research head of biodiversity conservation at the Environment and Forestry Ministry (KLHK), Hendra Gunawan, in a web forum commemorating the International Forest Day 2021 organized by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) on Sunday, March 28, 2021.

According to Hendra, of the 24 percent, the forest cover is only about 19 percent, while the other five percent is botanical gardens and biodiversity parks.

Hendra mentioned that several reasons for the shrinking forest cover on the most populated island in Indonesia include the conversion of forests for agricultural land, settlements, industry, infrastructure, and commercial areas.

The forest conversion has threatened the biodiversity in it. “Other impacts include water crisis, floods, landslides, animal conflicts, and so on,” he added. Thus, it is necessary to handle it to preserve biodiversity.

Hendra explained that permanently lost forest area for the construction of buildings and infrastructure need restoration by carrying out reforestation in other possible locations.

On this occasion, he suggested that stakeholders take local actions to save biodiversity through planting trees in green spaces (RTH).

Read: International Day for Forests 2021: Restoring Forests to Help Recovery

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