TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia, Brazil, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are working together to combat deforestation and are committed to maintaining sustainability in the face of global climate change.

"Today marks a step forward in establishing good relations between Indonesia, Brazil and Congo—countries with the most tropical trees in the world, something that is very important for the world today," said the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Ad Interim Erick Thohir in Jakarta, on Thursday, November 30.

He also conveyed the issue when attending the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. According to Erick, tropical forests are one of the things that are very important to help realize sustainability in the current issue of global warming as forests provide important ecosystems, water catchment areas, and environmental services.

The minister said sustainable forest management is one of Indonesia's focuses of development. This commitment is demonstrated by suppressing forest and land fires which have decreased significantly by 82 percent.

"From 1.6 million hectares in 2019 to 2,960 thousand hectares in 2020. Deforestation is down by 75 percent. This is the lowest figure since 1990," said Erick.

Erick said that forests provide benefits to 1.2 million people with a forest coverage of 6.3 million hectares. Overall, he said, Indonesia has planted more than 270 million mangroves across the country as a way to contribute to global environmental sustainability.

Requiring Collaboration with Brazil and Congo

Erick said that Indonesia needs international collaboration with Brazil and Congo to conserve tropical forests.

"During the G20 in Bali, Indonesia, Brazil and Congo signed a joint statement to cooperate in the forestry sector. We are optimistic that other countries will follow in this footsteps because Indonesia has carried out bilateral cooperation with other countries to conserve mangroves," he said.

Erick believes that the power of tropical forests for this climate partnership will be beneficial for each member, nations, and other partners, as well as communities throughout the world.

Antara