Indonesia prioritizes forest restoration in disaster zones

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Forestry Ministry will prioritize restoring degraded upstream forests and downstream areas near settlements to reduce flood and landslide risks following recent disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki said on Wednesday that the designated red zones face the highest disaster risks and require immediate forest and land rehabilitation.

"These areas must become priority locations for forest and land rehabilitation because they face very high vulnerability," he said.

Marzuki said recent flash floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra underscored the urgency of strengthening disaster mitigation.

He said the disasters showed that tropical cyclone-driven extreme weather capable of triggering heavy rainfall could occur anywhere in Indonesia.

He instructed officials to prioritize forest and land rehabilitation, along with soil and water conservation, in ecologically degraded upstream areas.

"Environmental emergency measures must cover both state forest areas and upstream land designated for other uses under community ownership," Marzuki said.

Besides reforestation, the ministry plans to strengthen field monitoring systems to reduce the impact of hydrometeorological disasters.

The measures include integrating forest monitoring systems with early warning devices linked directly to downstream communities.

Marzuki said the ministry is accelerating the program to improve public safety and reduce future disaster risks.

"We must strengthen monitoring and early warning systems to minimize damage and prevent loss of life," he said.

Related news: Indonesia launches major reforestation in Tesso Nilo National Park

Related news: Indonesia plants 21 million mangroves under coastal resilience program

Translator: M. Riezko Bima, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Editor: Rahmad Nasution

Copyright © ANTARA 2026