Most Mangrove Forests in Indonesia in Poor Condition

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Environment and Forestry minister Siti Nurbaya said that the condition of most mangroves on the coastal areas in Indonesia is not so good.

"52 percent of mangroves are in bad condition, while only 48 percent of them are in good condition," Sity explained while attending mangrove seed plantin in Bedono village, Sayung district, Demak regency, Central Java on Saturday (22/4).

source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/04/23/206868815/Most-Mangrove-Forests-in-Indonesia-in-Poor-Condition

BMKG Detects 20 Hotspots in Sumatra

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency or BMKG Pekanbaru Station in Riau has detected 20 hotspots indicating forest and land fires in six provinces in Sumatra.

“Hotspots at above 50 percent confidence level are spread across the provinces of Riau, Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Jambi and Bengkulu,” BMKG Pekanbaru head Sugarin said in Pekanbaru on Monday, April 24, 2017.

source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/04/25/055869182/BMKG-Detects-20-Hotspots-in-Sumatra

Acknowledgment of customary forests shows govt support for indigenous people

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has confirmed support for indigenous people in Indonesia following the acknowledgment of customary forests in several areas across the archipelago, a minister has said.

“The President is consistent in promoting and protecting the rights of indigenous people in the archipelago,” Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said in a speech during the opening ceremony of the fifth congress of the Indigenous People’s Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) in Tanjung Gusta, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, on Friday....

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/03/17/acknowledgment-of-customary-forests-shows-govt-support-for-indigenous-people.html

Conversion of peatland concessions into conservation areas commences

The Indonesian government has started the process of converting concessions and plantations in peatlands into conservation areas in its effort to prevent peat fires, which occur every year across the country. The conversion was targeted to cover 2.5 million hectares of land.

The peat conversion plan has been laid out in four ministerial regulations issued as a follow-up of the revision of a government regulation on peatland protection and the government’s peatland hydrological area (KHG) map.

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/02/22/conversion-of-peatland-concessions-into-conservation-areas-commences.html

Revisiting Java’s little Africa: Indonesia’s safari potential

It’s 6 in the morning and I am staring out across an open savanna landscape looking at large groups of deer, buffalo, and monkeys. In the distance the outlines of a volcano start showing through the mist, and the grassland rings with the calls of peacock and wild jungle fowl. This is neither India or Nepal, nor am I somewhere in Africa. This instead is Baluran National Park in eastern Java, Indonesia.

source: https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/revisiting-javas-little-africa-indonesias-safari-potential/

Gov't Seeks Solutions for Plastic Waste

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Arif Havas, Deputy I of Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs said that plastic wastes are affecting three main factors of marine issues, namely the ocean ecosystem, sustainable fishery and the environment in general.

"We are preparing a national initiative on the issue and a joint discussion with the World Bank to make budgeting intervention," Havas told Tempo at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs Office in Jakarta on Monday, February 6, 2017.

source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/02/06/206843561/Govt-Seeks-Solutions-for-Plastic-Waste

Indonesian government remains vigilant on forest fires

While praising last year’s success in curbing land and forest fires, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has told regional heads to remain watchful in their respective regions and demanded the expansion of fire-prevention initiatives.

Jokowi reminded the dozens of regents, mayors and administrations from haze-prone regions he convened at the State Palace on Monday not to repeat “the mistakes of 2015”.

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/01/24/indonesian-government-remains-vigilant-on-forest-fires.html

Small farmers not to blame for peat fires: Walhi

After decades of being blamed for the annual peat fires, a team of researchers have found out that small farmers are not responsible for the environmental threat as they have experience in sustainable peatland management.

The team compiled their findings in a book on local wisdom of peatland management, which was launched by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) on Wednesday.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/01/18/small-farmers-not-to-blame-for-peat-fires-walhi.html

A Thousand Mangrove Trees Planted in Bengkulu for Tsunami Mitigation

Members of the St. John Parish Church in Bengkulu have planted 1,000 mangrove trees in the Pantai Panjang Natural Park, in a move to preserve the province's mangrove forest.

With the help of the Bengkulu Mangrove Community, two species were planted on Tuesday (10/01) — Rhizopora Apiculata and Ceriops Tagal — at the mouth of the Jenggalu River.

source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/thousand-mangrove-trees-planted-bengkulu-tsunami-mitigation/