Spearheading Forest Conservation Initiatives to Green Indonesia

18 Maret 2015

1272

Tropical Rainforest in Indonesia is well-recognized for carbon sequestration, soil and water
protection, and notably biodiversity reservoir. As one of the megabiodiversity countries,
Indonesia has endeavored to be the leading spearhead on accelerating there gists of forest
conservation principles. These principles comprise of preservating genetic to ecosystem
diversity, utilizing forest products and NTFPs (tangible and intangible matters) sustainably, and
protecting the environment for altruistic aim. However, due to alarming deforestration and
forest degradation one or even more the principles could not be an enduring value which is in
the line of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM). Furthermore, as SFM could not be seized so
that it will automatically bring about unreachable and unsettled goals of Sustainable
Development.

To ward off the above, Indonesia has initiated two outstanding international programmes focusing on forest conservation - which are REDD+ and Green Economy corridor initiatives.
Indonesia has collaborated with three eminent UN agencies, comprising of FAO, UNDP and
UNEP to the development the two in which REDD+ initiatives would be handled under auspice
of UN-REDD Programme agencies. In specific case, REDD+ has been adopted by UNFCCC to
reduce green house gas emmissions. The initiative is not only highlight reducing deforestration
and forest degradation, but also that emphasizes on forest conservation, carbon enhancement
and SFM. From three “plus” on REED particularly on forest conservation, REDD+ will directly
allow Indonesia to embody Green Indonesia as the exceptional goal.

As keeping on babbling on REDD+ initiative implemented to sustain Indonesia’s tropical forests,
it can not marginalize and separate green economy corridor initiative from the preceded
initiative. Green Economy launced by UNEP is defined as the low carbon economy for efficiently
resources utilization and inclusive social. Indonesia has accelerated the tenet of Green Economy
by achieving seven percent economic growth and 26 percent reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions from business as usual scenario in 2020. One of the pathways for escalating the
initiative is by forest conservation so that the pathway is included into Green Economy.
Correlating with REDD+ initiative, Green Economy will provide a framework which is beneficial
for forest conservation of REDD+ gists.

Green Economy sunctions by far REDD+ initiative because REDD+ supports forest conservation
and carbon enhancement for seizing goals of sustainable development. In addition, REDD+ is
well-recognized as supporting elemen for Green Economy which gives payments for forest
conservation. By the payments for conserving tropical forests in Indonesia, it will incentivize
green initiatives among government, private, local communities and donors of REDD+ finance.
For instance, REDD+ finance deployed to local communities will be utilized for evolving ecotourism, aiming for forest conservation with remaining the achievement of SDGs. It could be
intended that both a Green Economy and REDD+ initiative are imperative programmes to
support forest conservation. And by being the pioneer of conserving tropical rainforest, it will be
a panacea to convert Green Problems into Green Indonesia with concerning on the fetching of
three indispensable pillars of Sustainable Development goals.