World communities including Indonesia celebrates International Day of Forests on 21 March. But world forests have actually deteriorated while the size has continuously decreased from year to year.
UGM expert in forestry politics and policy, Prof. Ahmad Maryudi, S.Hut.,M.For., Ph.D., said the world forests deteriorated despite the international forestry regime that regulates forest management mechanisms in global and national levels.
“Despite the numerous regulations and mechanisms related to forestry management, the fact is that the forest condition is not getting better,” he said in his office at Forest Management Department UGM on Thursday (22/3).
Maryudi said deforestation still continued, even as vast as 10-13 million hectares have perished each year, not to mention the higher rate of degraded forests.
“The worst deforestation and degradation occurred between years 2000-2005 with at least 1.8 hectares gone annually,” he said about Indonesia’s forests. He further mentioned the challenge that came from agriculture, especially oil palm plantations.
“Currently, there are 12 mil ha of oil palm plantation. The target is even to open up to 20 mil ha,” said Maryudi, who is also editor of Forest Policy & Economics journal, indexed by Scopus & Thompson Reuters.
There are also overlapping regulations between forestry and spatial management. For example, Riau and Central Kalimantan have not presented both of these well.
He said that the government had shown the commitment to improve forest management with a number of forest protection policy.
“But in fact in its implementation, the forest policy has to reduce the economic development goal that leads to forest damages,” said the Deputy Coordinator Unit 9.05.00 Forest Policy & Governance at International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO).
Furthermore, Maryudi emphasised the need for synergy between stakeholders to secure and manage the forest. Individuals and society are expected to increase their awareness of forest management by implementing it in real acts while the state is urged to uphold the law on forest protection and implement the policy in programmes that support forest sustainability.