News Summary:
- Indonesian Social Forestry Management Association (AP2SI) West Javahighlighting land shrinkage policies Forest Area with Special Management (KHDPK).
- This reduction in land area is considered to have triggered uncertainty about the fate of farmers working in the area.
- AP2SI warned that without clear regulations, this situation is prone to causing friction and social conflict in the field.
TRIBUNJABAR.ID, BANDUNG – Indonesian Social Forestry Management Association (AP2SI) West Java assess policies Forest Area with Special Management (KHDPK), further away from the initial objectives of the Social Forestry (Perhutsos) program on Java Island.
Chairman of AP2SI West Java, Dedi Junaedi, said that the reduction in the allocation of KHDPK land for Perhutsos also narrows the space for community management of forest areas.
The policy change, he said, was seen after the issuance of the Minister of Forestry Decree Number 149 of 2025 and the Minister of Forestry Regulation Number 8 of 2026 concerning the National Forestry Plan (RKTN) 2011-2030.
In the new regulation, the allocation of KHDPK for Social Forestry is set at only 583,629 hectares. This figure is lower than the previous decree, issued by the Minister of Environment and Forestry Decree No. SK.287/MENLHK/PLA.2/4/2022, which allocated 922,769 hectares of KHDPK land for Perhutsos.
“"This creates unclear policy direction and a lack of certainty regarding community access to forest areas. Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. 8 of 2026 also further restricts community rights to manage forest areas," Dedi said in a statement on Friday (May 22, 2026).
According to him, the government has also never involved Forest Farmer Groups (KTH) in the process of reducing land allocation. AP2SI and the farmer groups, he said, have yet to receive a transparent explanation regarding the reasons for the reduction in the KHDPK area for Social Forestry.
“There was no open explanation to the public and no adequate public consultation,” he said.
In its statement of position, AP2SI West Java presented seven demands to the government. These included prioritizing the KHDPK to improve community welfare, transparently disclosing KHDPK management plan documents, and involving farmer groups and social forestry organizations in policy development.
In addition, AP2SI urges the government to immediately facilitate, verify, and validate applications for Social Forestry without delay, and to openly explain the basis for reducing the KHDPK allocation for Social Forestry.
AP2SI also requested that KHDPK management ensure social and ecological protection for communities and maintain the sustainability of forest functions on Java Island. They believe the paradigm for state forest management must shift from simply granting access to recognizing and protecting community management rights.
“"We believe that Java's forests cannot be saved solely through administrative and bureaucratic approaches. Forests will be sustainable if communities receive recognition, protection, guaranteed rights, and fair management," he said.
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