Social forestry areas see fewest fires: Forestry Minister

Sigi, Central Sulawesi (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said social forestry areas such as customary forests, village forests, and community forests are regions with minimal forest and land fire incidents.

“Social forestry, whether in the form of village forests, community forests, people’s plantation forests, customary forests, or forestry partnerships, is what burns the least,” Antoni said when met by reporters here on Saturday.

According to him, giving access to communities, especially customary communities, is one of the ministry's main focuses because customary communities have proven able to protect forests better.

According to him, the social forestry management approval program is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s affirmative political policy to give communities broad land access.

“The hope is that with this program, social forestry areas can be managed productively, such as by planting commodities of economic value like durian, nutmeg, and avocado,” he remarked.

He said that the Forestry Ministry also ensures field oversight stays optimal by involving forest rangers and forestry extension workers who work with local communities.

“The government expects social forestry areas will not only improve food security and people’s economic welfare but also become the main protection in mitigating forest and land fire disasters and preserving the environment,” he stated.

As of October 2026, the Forestry Ministry issued 11,364 social forestry approval decrees covering 8.47 million hectares, with 1.43 million families as recipients.

In Central Sulawesi, 1,358 social forestry decrees covering 160,310.89 hectares have been issued, reaching 37,383 families across 194 villages in 12 districts and cities.

Previously, Minister Antoni called for integrating social forestry programs with broader social protection systems to strengthen welfare and safety nets for millions living around forest areas.

About 1.4 million households currently have access to social forestry land. Assuming three people per household, authorities need to verify data covering around 4.2 million individuals.

Antoni added that the government also plans to expand subsidized BPJS Kesehatan coverage for low-income forest communities and use forest utilization permits to support healthcare infrastructure.

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Translator: Salam, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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