Bappenas to Revise the National-Level Forestry Plan

The Ministry of National Development Planning (PPN)/National Development Planning Agency (“ Bappenas ”) is encouraging the Revision of the National Forestry Plan (Rencana Kehutanan Tingkat Nasional- “ RKTN ”) 2011–2030. One of the key points is to strengthen the role of forest areas in supporting national water self-sufficiency.

“The draft revised RKTN document touches upon food, water, and energy security, aligning them with government programs. However, it has not yet explicitly regulated water self-sufficiency (in a detailed manner),” stated Martua Yan Steward Nababan, Intermediate Planner at the Deputy for Food, Natural Resources, and Environment of Bappenas.

Martua emphasized that the revised RKTN must position the hydrological function of forests as a principal component, including their role as recharge zones, critical catchment areas, and sources of springs. This emphasis is considered important because water needs constitute a strategic element for future food and energy security, as well as for the provision of basic services.

Bappenas’ analysis also underscores the need to optimize forest areas by establishing a target of 115.48 million hectares of effective forest by 2030. This is considered consistent with the development criteria of the National Long-Term Development Plan (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Panjang Nasional/RPJPN), namely ecology, hydrology, food–energy, disaster risk, and climate change. The Government is encouraging the protection of ‘national strategic water-supply areas’ to be stipulated as an explicit category in the new RKTN.

In addition, Martua considers that the adequacy of forest area as the scientific basis for planning, along with the need to strengthen indicators, targets, control mechanisms, and evaluation, must form part of the structure of the new policy. The provision of an indicative directional map for the RKTN is also requested to be prioritized so that synchronization with the National Spatial Plan (Rencana Tata Ruang Wilayah Nasional/RTRWN) and sectoral spatial planning can proceed more consistently.