Indonesia pushes for faster peatland restoration to fix degraded lands

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki pushes for accelerating the peatland ecosystem restoration program as one of Indonesia's concrete steps to restore the ecological functions of degraded lands.

Speaking at the commemoration of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2026 in Jakarta on Wednesday, he underscored that national peatland restoration is an integral part of global climate commitments.

This, he said, must be in parallel with massive tree-planting programs, watershed restoration, and mangrove rehabilitation projects across various regions.

The Ministry of Forestry views these efforts as not only focused on environmental remediation but also on restoring the soil's natural ability to store water reserves, maintain fertility, and provide economic benefits for residents.

In this regard, he explained that through Indonesia's membership in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the government is committed to achieving its Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets by restoring 12.3 million hectares of degraded land, including peatlands, by 2040.

The achievement of this national target is projected to contribute directly to the major global agenda of reversing land degradation worldwide, which aims to restore 1 billion hectares of damaged land by 2030.

Based on the ministry's records, as of 2025, Indonesia has rehabilitated over 2 million hectares of degraded land through a multi-stakeholder financing scheme involving the government, the private sector, and global partners.

On the other hand, the deputy minister urged all parties to remain fully vigilant against the 2026 El Niño phenomenon, which is predicted to hit the country earlier and last longer.

This concern is backed by cumulative data on forest and land fires from January to May 2026, with the ministry recording that fires have already scorched 81,000 hectares, including both mineral and peatlands across various regions.

Rohmat stressed that the success of land restoration hinges on the active participation of communities living around forest areas. Therefore, the Indonesian government continues to push the expansion of the social forestry program through agroforestry, silvopasture, and silvofishery methods.

Through this mutually reinforcing partnership scheme, he expressed optimism that environmental sustainability and improved welfare can go hand in hand, as communities that get the economic benefits will naturally become the frontline guardians of forest conservation.

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Translator: M Riezko, Raka Adji

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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