Pushing for Two Degrees, KLHK: Land Needs to Be Rehabilitated

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya has stated that a rehabilitation of around 800,000 hectares (ha) of land is needed to help to lower the increasing temperature, as stipulated in the contribution target of the Paris Agreements.

"Yes, we are still planning for two degrees [celcius], now [we are] readying ourselves for the one and a half degrees [Celsius]. So actually, the need for planting in order to rehabilitate needs to cover 800,000 hectares," said Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, in between the technical rehabilitation of river basin (DAS) work meeting in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) Office on Monday, January 13, 2020.

After the ratification of the Paris Agreements in 2016, Indonesia has Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to decrease the emission of greenhouse gases (GRK) by 29 percent with the country’s own efforts, and 41 percent, with international help, by 2030.

This is done in order to push down on the global average temperature rise of two degrees celsius. However, in order to push down the temperature rise to one and a half degrees, great efforts in land and forest rehabilitation is required.

According to Siti, the environmental rehabilitation agenda is one of President Joko Widodo's priorities, and has been pioneered by the KLHK since 2018. Furthermore, the President has further reiterated in a meeting with the KLHK held on January 6 and January 8, 2020, the need to work even harder for the rehabilitation in the preparations and planting of good seeds.

In 2019, there has been an allocation to rehabilitate 207 thousand hectares of forest and land, which notably, is significantly greater compared to the 23 -25 thousand hectares of rehabilitation from previous years.

In light of seeing various disasters, such as floods and landslides, that occurred in January 2020, all efforts must be made to anticipate, including the intensifying of Government Regulation No. 78 of 2010, concerning Reclamation and Postmining.

She has also praised the participation of stakeholders, both from the government as well as civilians, that has helped in the planting process, which consequently allows a greater area of land to be rehabilitated.

"So, if we can amass all these efforts, then we can actually plant more than 430 thousand hectares yearly. But, this is still not enough for the need to reduce the emission and temperatures, if you would ask for one and a half degrees," said Siti

ANTARA