Previous Page Table of Contents Next Page


3. INDONESIAN FORESTRY: STATUS AND TRENDS


3.1. Forest Resources
3.2. Environmental Initiatives
3.3. Wood-based Industries
3.4. Non-wood Forest Product
3.5. Services of the Forest

3.1. Forest Resources

Based on the latest (1996) data, the present area of state natural forest lands covers 139.5 million hectares, consisting of 113.8 million hectares as permanent forest lands and 25.7 million hectares convertible forest lands. The permanent forest lands consists of 30.7 million hectares of protection forests, 18.8 million hectares of conservation forests (national parks, nature reserves, etc.) and 64.3 million hectares of production forests. Over 3.068 million hectares of forest lands had been converted to agricultural crop land and 0.93 million hectares for transmigration. The conversion is likely to be gradually eliminated in the near future because of environmental reasons.

The permanent forest land has been largely demarcated in the field. As of September 1996, MoF has established 226,865 kilometres of boundaries, of which 163,273 kilometres outer forest boundaries and 63,529 kilometres were concessions boundaries. Compared with 1989 when the length of forest boundary was only 51,019 kilometres, the achievement on forest boundary establishment during the last 6 years (1990-1996) has more than tripled or equivalent with 320 percent increase (Table 3). It is intended that the trend continue in the future in line with the efforts to implement sustainability scheme which partly requires certainty or assurance of tenure for forest land.

Table 3 - Forestry Boundary Establishment in Indonesia (as of September 1996)

No.

Year

Forest Boundary Completion (Km)*

Concession Boundary Completion (Km)

Total (Km)

1.

Up to 4th Five Year Development Plan (Pelita IV)

51,019.80

7,538.99

58,558.78

2.

Fifth Five Year Development Plan (Pelita V)

70,092.25

34,352.92

104,445.17

3.

Sixth Five Year Development Plan (Pelita VI) **

42,160.95

21,700.58

63,861.53


TOTAL

163,273.00

63,592.49

226,865.49

Ministry of Forestry (1996)
Notes: * Outer and function forest boundaries; ** up to September 1996

The production forests, with total area of 64.3 million hectares, for instance, mostly fall into four vegetation types: mixed hill forests, peat swamp forests, fresh-water swamp forests and tidal forests (mangrove). Most production forests (73%) consist of mixed hill forests located up to 1,300 meters above sea level with the most important commercial species being, among others, Meranti (Shorea spp.). Keruing (Dipterocarpus spp.), Kapur (Dryobalanops spp.), Mersawa (Anisoptera spp.), Agathis (Agathis spp.), Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), and Merbau (Intsia spp.).

As of March 1996 there were 483 units of concessionaires being operated covering 56.14 million hectares in natural production forest lands. The number of concessionaires and their area are decreasing compare to the 1990's figure when Indonesia had 575 concessionaires covering around 60 million hectares. Consistent with serious efforts on enforcing the law, the number of concessionaires are likely to be limited in the future. It is reported that in the coming five years the number of concessionaires are going to be reduced further through mergers, with the number declining to only 50 concessionaires throughout the country.

Besides, Indonesia is also continuously developing plantation forest under its timber estate development programme (TE), community forest development programme, and community mangrove forest development programme. The programme are mainly aimed at anticipating log shortage from natural forests as well as being a strategic effort to rehabilitate secondary and logged-over areas. Moreover, the programme is also directed at reducing social problems and the people pressure on the forest area.

The TE development programme has been implemented since 1983; until 1991, there were only two kinds of TE programmes, namely TE for pulp and TE specifically allocated for supporting plywood industries. In 1992, TE was also combined with transmigration development programme called TE-Trans (HTI-Trans). Starting in 1993 there is also a TE-like programme named "priority trees". TE therefore has four types of development programme. As of 1995, all TE development programmes covered an area for about 1.75 million hectares (Table 4); TE development programmes are to be continuously implemented in the future for social and environmental reasons and are targeted to have achieved about 6.4 million ha TE by the year 2000.

Table 4 - Timber Estate Development Programme (1989-1995) (Ha)

Year

TE-Pulp

TE-Plywod

TE-Trans

Priority Trees

Total

1989

29,160

102,495

0

0

131,655

1990

65,661

104,213

0

0

169,874

1991

104,222

109,769

0

0

213,991

1992

83,962

139,771

11,120

0

234,853

1993

113,066

138,625

50,021

71,895

373,607

1994

117,940

56,253

44,620

77,973

296,786

1995

162,200

54,449

48,551

61,248

326,448

TOTAL

676,211

705,575

154,312

211,116

1,747,214

Source: 1995 Forestry Statistic Indonesia. Secretariate General of Ministry of Forestry, Indonesia (recalculated)

Data for 1995 indicate that community forests covered 637,750 Ha distributed in all provinces in the country except Jakarta Special District. The distribution of community forests around the country is shown in Table 5.

Data for 1995 also indicate community mangrove forest development for last the five years. Until 1995, the development covered 18,009 Ha and no less than 108 sampling units as shown in Table 6. The development is likely to be further implemented continuously as, like other community forests, it has been designed for social and environmental reasons.

Table 5 - The Distribution of Community Forest Area (1995)

No.

Province

Area (Ha)

No.

Province

Area (Ha)

1.

Aceh Special District

7,696

15.

East Nusa Tenggara

127,949

2.

West Sumatera

17,540

16.

West Kalimantan

11,442

3.

North Sumatera

16,200

17.

Central Kalimantan

1,875

4.

Riau

14,500

18.

South Kalimantan

9,700

5.

Jambi

6,325

19.

East Kalimantan

4,158

6.

South Sumatera

19,459

20.

North Sulawesi

10,577

7.

Bengkulu

10,381

21.

Central Sulawesi

5,794

8.

Lampung

5,250

22.

South Sulawesi

35,618

9.

West Java

73,356

23.

South-East Sulawesi

11,247

10.

Central Java

96,013

24.

Maluku

2,658

11.

Yogyakarta Special District

9,968

25.

Irian Jaya

2,288

12.

East Java

127,728

26.

Jakarta Special District

-

13.

Ball

2,453

27.

East Timor

0.185

14.

West Nusa Tenggara

7,390




TOTAL

637,750

Source: Directorate General of Reforestation and Land Rehabilitation, Ministry of Forestry (1995)

Table 6 - Community Mangrove Forest Development (1991-1995)

Development

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

Total

Sampling Unit (units)

28

20

25

-

35

108

Mangrove Forest Plantation (Ha)

3,161

2,785

4,250

5,263

2,550

18,009

Source: 1995 Forestry Statistics Indonesia. Ministry of Forestry

The condition of most forest area can be assessed from the figures of existing critical land. The Ministry of forestry calculates that the critical forest land during the sixth five year development plan (PELITA VI) has reached serious proportions, namely 25.03 million Ha consisting of 17.52 million Ha outside forest area and the balance (7.51 million Ha) inside forest area as detailed in Table 7. There is a possibility of success in many efforts on land rehabilitation which give reason to hope that the amount of critical land will drop significantly in the near future.

Table 7 - Estimates of Critical Land before and after PELITA VI

Location of Critical Land

Area of critical land by time period (approximate)

By end of PELITA VI

PELITA VI

PELITA VII and beyond

TOTAL (Ha)

Inside forest area

3,759,260

941,680

2,817,580

7,518,520

Outside forest area

8,758,370

2,626,470

6,131,900

17,516,740

TOTAL

12,517,630

3,568,150

8,949,480

25,035,260

Source: 1995 Forestry Statistics Indonesia. Ministry of Forestry
(Note: Pelita VI spans 1994/1995 - 1999/2000; Pelita VII will start in year 2000/2001;
all figures have been rounded off - Editor)

3.2. Environmental Initiatives

With regard to its forest management and utilisation, Indonesia is seriously giving attention to environmental matters. As mentioned earlier, Indonesia actively participates in the implementation of the CITES of wild flora and fauna and the Ramsar Convention. The country ratified the CBD in 1994 and Indonesia also hosted the third COP of the convention in May 1995. Furthermore, Indonesia has also been intensifying the maintenance of its allocated 49.5 million hectares totally protected area (TPA) in order to conserve its wildlife ecosystem richness. The TPA consists of protection forests (30.7 million hectares) and conservation areas (18.8 million hectares) to include national parks, nature reserve, game reserve, hunting parks, and grand forest parks.

Serious efforts have been maintained to implement the integrated conservation and development programme approach in the management of national parks. It is consistent with the spirit contained of UNCED 1992 outcomes. Currently (1996) there are 34 national parks covering 10.154 million hectares land and sea/water areas (Table 8).

Table 8 - National Parks in Indonesia (up to 1996)

No.

National Parks

Location

Area (Ha)


NATIONAL PARKS



1.

Gunung Leuser

Aceh; N. Sumatera

792,675

2.

Kerinci Seblat

W. Sumatera, vie.

1,368,000

3.

South Bukit Barisan

Bengkulu; Lampung

365,680

4.

Berbak

Jambi

162,700

5.

Bukit Tiga Puluh

Riau; Jambi

127,698

6.

Siberut

W. Sumatera

190,500

7.

Way Kambas

Lampung

130,000

8.

Gunung Gede Pangrango

W. Java

15,000

9.

Halimun

W. Java

40,000

10.

Ujung Kulon

W. Java

122,956

11.

Alas Purwo

E. Java

43,420

12.

Baluran

E. Java

25,000

13.

Bromo Tengger Semeru

E. Java

58,000

14.

Meru Betiri

E. Java

50,000

15

Bali Barat

Bali

19,002

16.

Gunung Rinjani

W. Nusa Tenggara

40,000

17.

Kelimutu

E. Nusa Tenggara

5,000

18.

Komodo

E. Nusa Tenggara

173,300

19.

Bentuang Karimun

W. Kalimantan

800,000

20.

Wakatobi

N. Sulawesi

1,390,000

21.

Bukit Baka Bukit R

W & C. Kalimantan

181,090

22.

Gunung Palung

W. Kalimantan

90,000

23.

Tanjung Puting

C. Kalimantan

355,000

24.

Kutai

E. Kalimantan

198,629

25.

Lore Lindu

C. Sulawesi

229,000

26.

Rawa A. Matumohai

SE. Sulawesi

105,194

27.

Bogani Nani W

N. Sulawesi

287,115

28.

Manusela

Maluku

189,000

29.

Wasur

Irian Jaya

308,000

30.

Bunaken

N. Sulawesi

89,065

31.

Kep. Seribu

Jakarta

108,000

32.

Cendrawasih

Irian Jaya

1,453,500

33.

Karimun Jawa

C. Java

11,625

34.

Taka Bone Rate

N. Sulawesi

530,765

TOTAL


10,154,234

Source: MoF (1996). Progress Towards Sustainable Management of Tropical Forests (Objective Year 2000)
Note: National Park No. 30-34 printed bold are Marine National Parks.

Ujung Kulon and Komodo National Parks which have been certified by the IUCN as the World Heritage Sites are given priority in management. Gunung Gede Pangrango, Tanjung Puting, Lore Lindu and Leuser National Parks which have been designated by the UNESCO as Biosphere Reserves are also maintained with the maximum attention possible. Berbak National Park and Danau Sentarum Wildlife Reserve which have been designated as Ramsar sites are also given special attention. Three conservation areas, Wasur National Park in Irian Jaya among them, are being proposed to be Ramsar site too. The number of protected wildlife species is still the same, 538 species including 15 marine species. Indonesia has bred and cultivated more than 40 species of wildlife, including 12 wildlife protected species.

Some foundations were created to strengthen financing of various conservation measures are actively contributing to the conservation efforts in the country. They include the Wallacea Foundation to support the management of Bogani Nani Warta Bone National Park in Sulawesi; Leuser International Foundation to support Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatera.

In line with sustainable forest management scheme, MoF enacted Decrees No. 252 of 1993 and No. 576 of 1993 concerning the Criteria and Indicators (C and I) of Natural Production Forest Sustainability at National Level. These were followed by the issuance of MoF Decree No. 610 of 1993 concerning Sustainable Management of Natural Production Forest at Management Unit Level. Furthermore, the Director General of Forest Utilisation enacted Decree No. 208/1993 concerning Technical Guidance on C and I for Management Unit Level. The basic structure of these decrees are consistent with the ITTO C and I; the C and I have been used in considering applications for the extension of concession permits. Additionally, the Association of Indonesian Forest Concessionaires (APHI) established a Timber Concession Guidance Committee to, among others tasks, supervise the concessionaires in the application in the field of the C and I of sustainable forest management. In 1994/1995 the committee, in co-operation with some universities, conducted thorough performance assessment of 61 timber concessions. For the working year 1996/1997 it was planned to assess. 180 concessions but only 40 of them were completed. It was observed that the issuance of the C and I has improved the concession performance.

Moreover, Indonesia Ecolabelling Institute (LEI) which was established in 1994 as a third independent body, is actively preparing the concept and implementation of C and I of sustainable forest management at the forest management unit level in the short run. Consistent with this, the GOI is also establishing a forestry accreditation committee called Technical Accreditation Committee (KAIT) composed of members from relevant forestry institutions including NGOs under coordination of the MoF.

3.3. Wood-based Industries

As of year 1995 there are at least 494 units of concessionaire-wood-based industry in Indonesia. These consist of 303 sawmill units with total annual capacity of 8.3 million cu m; 113 plymill units with total annual capacity of 10.9 million cu m; and 78 blockboard mills with total annual capacity of 1.5 million cu m. Besides, there are 2,094 units of non-concessionaire wood-based industries consisting of 2,024 units of sawmill (total capacity 10.67 million cu m/year), 7 units plymill (total capacity 146,650 cu m/year), 24 units of blockboard mill (total capacity 427,650 cu m/year) and 39 units of particleboard mill with total annual capacity of 2.7 million cu m. Details on this are in Table 9.

Table 9 - Wood-based Industries in Indonesia (1995)

Industry

Concession

Non Concession

Units

Capacity (cu m)

Units

Capacity (cu m)

Sawmill

303

8,304,199

2,024

10,670,903

Plywood

113

10,966,797

7

146,650

Blockboard

78

1,511,005

24

427,650

Particle Board

-

-

39

2,675,297

TOTAL

494

20,782,001

2,094

13,920,500

Source: Capricorn Indonesia Consult Inc. 1997

Total production of plywood in 1995 was 10.65 million cu m, while total production for blockboard and particleboard were respectively, 1.28 million cu m, and 1.17 million cu m. Data on total wood-based panels production for the last five years (1991-1995) are shown in Table 10 indicating that total production of wood-based panel industries has tended to decrease during the period. This trend is mainly because of significant decrease in plywood production7.

7 Of particular interest in terms of structural shift in the panels industry is increase of particleboard from 4% of panels in 1991 to nearly 9% in 1995. Total output has grown 229% while that of all panels has increased only 8% (Editor).

Table 10 - Total Production of Wood-based Panel Industries (1991-1995)

Type of Panel

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

Plywood

10,617,000

11,664,000

11,912,000

11,682,000

10,646,000

Blockboard

1,014,000

1,056,000

1,184,000

1,211,000

1,283,000

Particleboard

510,000

589,000

746,000

971,000

1,166,000

Total Wood-based Panel

12,141,000

13,230,000

13,792,000

13,864,000

13,095,000

Growth (%)


8.23

4.25

0.52

-5.55

Source: Capricorn Indonesia Consult Inc. 1997

Total production of logs and sawn timber for the last 5 years (1991-1995) shows significant fluctuations as well as overall significant decrease in production tend to decrease significantly, primarily after 1992. (Table 11). This phenomenon is probably in line with the claim that logs production during the period have been absorbed mostly by the national plywood industry so that national sawmill industries have experienced log/raw material shortage.

Table 11 - Timber Production (1991-1995)

Timber

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

Logs (cu m)

23,809,761

26,049,496

26,848,010

24,027,277

24,850,061

Sawn Timber (cu m)

3,006,046

4,276,532

2,910,459

2,005,783

2,014,193

Total

26,815,807

30,326,028

29,758,469

26,033,065

26,864,259

Growth (%)


13.1

- 1.87

- 12.52

3.19

Source: 1996 Statistical Year Book of Indonesia. Central Bureau of Statistics

As of 1995 Indonesia forest-based industries also consist of 52 pulp and/or paper mills producing newspaper, printing paper, kraft paper, corrugated, and tissue papers and boards.

Total annual capacity is 3.31 million tons (CIC, 1995). Production of pulp industries in five year period (1990-1994) is shown in Table 12.

Table 12 - Production of Pulp Industries (1990-1994)

Type of Pulp

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

Long Fibre (ton)

133,604

128,102

113,203

98,148

282,839

Short Fibre (ton)

741,300

822,321

777,388

688,059

756,925

Total (ton)

874,904

950,423

890,591

786,207

1,039,764

Growth (%)


8.63

-6.30

- 11.72

32.25

Source: Capricorn Indonesia Consult Inc. 1997

Domestic consumption, export and import of wood-based products are shown in Table 13, while Table 14 indicates the corresponding figures for paper and paperboard as well as consumption for pulp.

Table 13 - Domestic Consumption, Export and Import of Wood-based Products (cu m)

Wood-based Products

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

PLYWOOD

Domestic Consumption

1,677,000

1,583,000

2,131,000

2,545,000

2,639,000

Export

8,864,000

9,054,000

9,533,000

9,367,000

9,043,000

Import

-

-

-

-

-

BLOCKBOARD

Domestic Consumption

618,000

517,000

375,000

675,000

635,000

Export

358,000

443,000

681,000

659,000

558,110

Import

-

-

-

-

-

PARTICLE BOARD

Domestic Consumption

348,000

421,000

484,000

625,000

681,000

Export

85,000

92,000

108,000

223,000

279,000

Import

1,000

3,000

3,000

2,000

7,000

Source: Capricorn Indonesia Consult, Inc. 1997

Table 14 - Domestic Consumption of Pulp; Domestic Consumption, Export and Import of Paper and Paperboard

Wood-based Products

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

PULP (Domestic Consumption)

Virgin Pulp

1,028,073

1,155,608

1,342,365

1,501,273

1,767,543

Used Paper

418,543

474,013

576,669

660,920

793,356

PAPER AND PAPERBOARD

Domestic Consumption

1,371,370

1,479,100

1,844,400

2,091,700

2,399,100

Export

190,330

384,800

533,000

591,800

826,200

Import

123,600

114,900

114,600

111,400

171,300

Source: Capricorn Indonesia Consult, Inc. 1997

3.4. Non-wood Forest Product

There are many non-wood forest product (NWFP) produced, traded and consumed in Indonesia of which those which are economically worth mentioning are rattan (Calamus spp.), resin, cayuput oil, turpentine, and gum resin - these are by far are the most important non-wood products. Production of all these NWFP is shown in Table 15.

Table 15 - Production of NWFP (1991-1995)

NWFP

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

Rattan (ton)

64,020

69,384

88,149

78,340

36,256

Gum Resin (ton)

37,141

53,090

78,369

74,204

47,960

Turpentine (ton)

8,593,000

9,038,000

11,439,000

13,175,000

8,975,000

Cayuput Oil (Itr)

274,124

280,305

312,831

332,478

235,497

Damar Resin (ton)

10,416

14,253

5,149

0

3,869

Source: 1996 Statistical Year Book of Indonesia. Central Bureau of Statistics

Indonesia has the most diverse rattan resources in the world and a major portion of the world's total rattan resource is found in Indonesia's forests. Rattan is socially and economically the most important NWFP. Rattan has excellent properties for furniture manufacturing and is extensively used by furniture industries in many countries. While marketed in the local market as a basic material for the furniture industry and smallholders handicrafts, rattan has a long-established reputation as an export oriented commodity.

Before the 1988 export ban of semi-processed rattan, about 170,000 to 180,000 tons of rattan were harvested annually, of which 60% was exported. This harvest level has left certain areas depleted of rattan stocks. The export ban of semi-processed rattan has resulted, however, in some dramatic changes in the rattan industry: the number of industrial units increased from 109 at the end of 1986 to 381 at the end 1988 increasing capacity from about 61,000 tons to 439,000 tons. At the same time, the development of rattan plantations has been slow (partly because of rattan farmer are no longer interested in rattan plantation for some reasons); the total area of rattan plantations is about 21,400 hectares. As a result, the production of rattan has tended to decrease significantly, as shown in Table 15.

Additionally, other NWFPs are recognised to be cayuput oil, gum resin, and damar resin. Resin tapping is carried out to a great extent in Java by the state-owned corporation, Perhutani. Besides, small scale resin tapping by private companies take place in the province of North Sumatera and Aceh. In Java about 30,000 hectares of pine (Pinus spp) plantation were brought under resin tapping by 1980. In this period resin production amounted to 15.5 thousand tonnes to yield about 10 thousand tonnes of rosin and 1,400 kilo litres turpentine. The area brought under resin tapping has grown steadily and reached 73,500 hectares in 1988. Consistent with this figure, the production of resin has also shown a steep increase: the production amounted to 45,200 tonnes representing more than three times increase over 1980 production level. The level of 1993 production was a peak level, since then the production level has significantly decreased (Table 15).

Other non-wood products which are currently utilised are also of fauna and flora products. Currently being utilised and harvested directly from the wild or through captive breeding are 135 species of reptiles, 16 species of mammals, 99 species of birds, 71 species of corals, 40 species of amphibians, 2 species of fishes, 3 species of arthropods, 1 species of tree ferns, 17 species of butterflies, and 2 species of agar woods. The foreign exchange from this utilisation is estimated to be about US$6 million annually.

Development of captive breeding programmes is being boosted in order to meet market demands as well as ex-situ conservation. About 40 species are currently in the programme involving 133 captive breeder companies. In the future, the wild harvest will tend to decrease as the result of habitat losses and the success of captive breeding programme. The programme developed mainly for commercial purposes is also directed to improve the welfare of the people surrounding the habitat. Sustainable fauna and flora utilisation will be directed towards the increase of value added such as export of only finished products, diversification of species and commercial efficiency.

3.5. Services of the Forest

Forest resources in Indonesia are also utilised for non-timber services purposes. In this sense, some forest areas are specifically designated for research, education as well as recreation purposes. All national parks, for instance, are also directed to accommodate such purposes. Besides, some other forest areas are already designated for serving such purposes as well, namely Grand Forest Parks (GFP). As of 1995, there were at least 9 GFPs in Indonesia. The name, location, and area of the GFPs are listed in Table 16.

Table 16 - Grand Forest Parks in Indonesia (1995)

No.

Name of Grand Forest Park

Location

Area (Ha)

1.

Dr. Mochamad Hatta

West Sumatera

500

2.

Bukit Barisan

North Sumatera

51,600

3.

Wan Abdul Rachman

Lampung

22,244

4.

Ir. H. Juanda

West Java

590

5.

R. Soeryo

East Java

25,000

6.

Sultan Adam

South Kalimantan

112,000

7.

Ngurah Rai

Bali

1,373

8.

Murhum

South-east Sulawesi

8,146

9.

Palu

Central Sulawesi

8,100

Source: 1995 Forestry Statistic of Indonesia. Secretariate General of Ministry of Forestry.


Previous Page Top of Page Next Page