Trends

Since 1999, forest management and utilization have been restructured and experienced a paradigm shift from timber-based to broader resource-based management. At the same time, greater emphasis has been placed on empowering local communities, decentralization and strengthening research and education. The emphasis on establishing industrial forest plantations, community forests and community mangrove forests will remain and it is intended that future log production from natural forests will move to being based on natural forest carrying capacity expressed in terms of an annual allowable cut. There is also a commitment to increasingly involve stakeholders in all phases of the forest development process. The trends are also reflected in the market place. Tropical hardwoods such as mahogany, teak and rosewood were originally used in fine furniture, high quality architecture, luxury boats and other special uses. Today, the main export of tropical hardwoods from Indonesia is as plywood with increasing export of pulp.

Promotion of sustainable forest management

The EC and Government of Indonesia currently have five ongoing development cooperation projects and a liaison office, which together make up the EC-Indonesia Forest Programme (ECIFP). In 1993, a Consultative Group on Indonesian Forestry (CGIF) was formed in Indonesia to organize donor co-ordination meetings and co-ordinate bilateral and multilateral projects. Assistance from the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR) and others was provided for the development and demonstration of a long-term model of exemplary, research-based forest management in an area of 321 000 hectares of forests at Bulungan, East Kalimanatan, Indonesia. Indonesia has also recently applied to become a member of the International Model Forest Network and has designated forests in Berau and Bulungan, Kalimantan as its first model forest.

As an incentive to reduce illegal logging, Indonesia introduced a log export ban in 1985. The ban was removed in 1999 under an IMF agreement and reapplied in October 2001. Since 1996, about 100 forest concessionaires have been trained in Reduced Impact logging (RIL) techniques by the Indonesian Concession Holders¿ Association.

A Land Grant College has been established to strengthen research and human resources. This programme allocates forest land grants to education and research institutions.

last updated: Friday, May 13, 2005