PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — Indonesia lost 206,000 hectares of natural forest in 2024, a sharp increase of about 53% compared to the previous year, according to a new report. The study, titled “Deforestation in the Transition Regime” released by the Madani Sustainable Foundation on Thursday (8/8), highlights that the government transition period has become highly vulnerable to deforestation due to weak legal protection and oversight.
The report shows that 72% of deforestation occurred within designated forest areas, particularly in permanent production forests. East Kalimantan, Riau, and West Kalimantan recorded the largest forest loss, including peatlands and conservation zones. Alarmingly, 39,000 hectares of deforestation took place inside forest moratorium zones (PIPPIB), areas intended to safeguard primary forests and peatlands.
“More than half of the deforestation happened in areas with existing legal permits. Forest Utilization Business Permits (PBPH) accounted for 66,000 hectares, followed by oil palm plantations at 51,000 hectares,” said Fadli Ahmad Naufal, GIS Specialist at Madani Sustainable, in an official statement received by Palmoilmagazine.com on Monday (11/8/2025). He noted that nearly a quarter of PBPH-related deforestation occurred in peatland ecosystems, which are vital for carbon storage.
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National strategic projects also contributed to forest loss. In Merauke, South Papua, the government’s Food Estate program cleared almost 5,000 hectares of natural forest. Meanwhile, nickel mining expansion on small islands such as Gag and Kawe in Raja Ampat violated small-island protection laws and encroached on ecologically sensitive areas.
The report further points to the lack of legal recognition for indigenous lands. As of March 2025, only 330,000 hectares of customary forests had been formally recognized by the state, far below the 32.3 million hectares mapped by the Indigenous Territory Registration Agency (BRWA). Globally, indigenous lands have been shown to maintain significantly lower deforestation rates.
“Deforestation in 2024 is a red flag for Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 target. Without stronger forestry and licensing policies, including a review of national strategic projects, the country’s climate goals risk remaining nothing more than promises on paper,” stressed Yosi Amelia, Climate and Ecosystem Program Lead at Madani Sustainable. (P2)
