Indonesian government revokes hundreds of permits on millions of hectares

January 30, 2022 |

In Indonesia, Mongabay reports that President Joko Widodo’s administration canceled millions of hectares worth of concessions including Ministry of Environment and Forestry permits for 192 logging, plantation, mining and ecotourism operations, totaling 3.13 million hectares (7.73 million acres); 36 Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning permits for plantations (at 34,448 hectares, or 85,123 acres); and 2,078 Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources permits for mines.

So far, only the forestry ministry has released the names of the companies, including many in the palm oil sector, whose permits it revoked.

Environmental activists say this presents an opportunity to conserve these lands, which cover a combined area larger than Belgium, by redistributing them to local and Indigenous communities, and protecting areas still home to rainforest.

However, some senior government officials say the concessions should be reissued to other companies to develop, and indicate that lands redistributed to communities will also be open to investors.

A preliminary analysis by environmental NGO Auriga Nusantara shows there are 2.4 million hectares (5.93 million acres) of rainforest still standing on the lands covered by the 192 forestry ministry permits.

Category: Policy

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