Indonesia’s deforestation rate remains dynamic, though recent years have shown a general decline. Despite this positive trend, the current policy focus has shifted toward forest and post-mining restoration as a crucial step in ensuring the sustainable recovery of ecosystems.
According to the Ministry of Forestry, Indonesia’s forested land in 2024 covered 95.5 million hectares, or 51.1 percent of the total land area.
Net deforestation in the same year was recorded at 175.4 thousand hectares.
Most gross deforestation occurred in secondary forests, amounting to 200.6 thousand hectares (92.8 percent), of which 69.3 percent took place within forest areas and the remainder outside these areas.
Professor Widiyatno of the Faculty of Forestry (Forestry UGM) emphasized that forest management cannot overlook technological advancements, economic interests, and development needs.
Therefore, he argued, it is essential to balance economic considerations with ecological sustainability in forest management.
Equally important, he stressed, is selecting appropriate methodologies for restoration efforts.
The first step, he noted, is identifying the level of forest degradation, which directly correlates with land cover conditions.
“The degree of damage and land cover condition are key determinants in formulating restoration strategies,” said Professor Widiyatno during the webinar Ecosystem Restoration in Natural Forests, Post-Mining Lands, and Mangroves, held on Thursday (Sep. 25) as part of the 62nd Anniversary of Forestry UGM.
He further explained that the severity of degradation influences recovery efforts. The higher the degradation level, the lower the biodiversity and ecosystem services.
“As a result, efforts to restore forests to their natural state will require significantly more time and resources as damage levels increase,” he said.
Professor Widiyatno also emphasized the importance of enrichment planting and the use of native species as restoration methods, highlighting their holistic and significant impacts.
He noted that this approach has proven capable of increasing carbon sequestration by up to 140 tons per hectare in 25-year-old stands.
Focusing on mine reclamation, Dr. Handojo Hadi Nurjanto of the Laboratory of Tree and Soil Physiology at Forestry UGM emphasized the importance of site preparation in the success of post-mining restoration.
He outlined six key steps in mine land reclamation: land preparation, land arrangement, erosion control, substrate layer management, revegetation, and security measures.
Dr. Nurjanto emphasized that mine reclamation cannot be carried out uniformly but must adapt to site conditions, soil types, land management practices, and mining activities.
“Differences in site preparation approaches will result in differences in the vegetation that can be successfully established,” he explained.
Dennis Wara from PT Ekosistem Khatulistiwa Lestari highlighted the main challenges in the field, including deforestation and land degradation, biodiversity conservation, community socio-economic conditions, and the development of business models for companies.
Meanwhile, Andri Ardiansyah from PT Vale Indonesia Tbk. (INCO) shared the company’s experience in nickel mine reclamation, beginning with pre-mining conservation efforts such as biodiversity surveys, collection of native plant seeds, and topsoil preservation planning.
Similarly, Boorliant Satryana from PT Maruwai Coal, a company engaged in metallurgical coal mining and production, described their reclamation process carried out in in-pit dumps, which limit the available reclamation land.
“The steps begin with building embankments and drainage, followed by planting cover crops to stabilize slopes, and then plowing the soil to improve its physical properties,” he explained.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photograph: Mongabay