TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya pointed out the alarming state of the conditions of 24.3 million hectares of forests across Indonesia.

"Of the total size, 5.5 million hectares [of the forests] are in critical conditions,” Nurbaya said after a tree-planting event in Subang, West Java, on Saturday, March 19, 2016.

As many as 12,979 trees were planted during the event in areas around the Cikopo-Palimanan (Cipali) toll road.

In order to restore the forests, Nurbaya said that intensive tree planting must be conducted by Industrial Plantation Concession owners.

In response to a question whether the forest restoration efforts had been effective, Nurbaya said that the progress would be up to the people.

“We need to collect [information on the efforts] conducted by private companies and business owners,” Nurbaya added.

Nurbaya revealed that the number of tree planting programs crafted by the government was still limited. For instance, the tree planting programs executed in Citarum and Ciliwung rivers could only cover 3,000 hectares.

Nurbaya hopes that the tree planting program in the Cipali toll road that cover 116.75 kilometers would result in green open spaces.

“Therefore, it will maintain the microclimate, improve the area’s aesthetics, boost groundwater absorption, create balance and harmony in the city spatial planning, and support biodiversity preservation,” Nurbaya explained.

Arriyanto Hudaya, deputy director of Cipali toll road operator PT Lintas Marga Sedaya (LMS), said that the tree planting event would improve the toll road’s safety, since the trees could reduce wind speed from the sides of the toll road and lower the temperature.

Arriyanto added that his company had planted around 16,000 trees of various species.

“Therefore, LMS, the Environment and Forestry Ministry and a number of third parties have planted more than 30,000 tries since the construction [of the Cipali toll road],” Arriyanto said.

NANANG SUTISNA