The government of Indonesia has named four forests which could serve as pilot projects for its conservation deal with Norway, according to the Jakarta Post. The deal, including a billion US dollar donation from Norway, is meant to help Indonesia stem rampant deforestation throughout the nation, which has pushed Indonesia to become the world’s third highest greenhouse gas emitter.
The proposal sites are spread about the nation’s many islands: one is in Papua province on the island of New Guinea, another lies in Riau province on the island of Sumatra, and the two remaining forests are on the island of Borneo in West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan. A fifth proposed site is expected to be named on Sumatra.
“The final decision on the pilot project will be made by a joint team from Indonesia and Norway this year,” Forestry Minister Zulkifli told The Jakarta Post.
Indonesia’s conservation deal with Norway has also led to a two year moratorium on new plantation concessions in natural forest; however, the moratorium has spread confusion over whether or not existing concessions will be halted by the government. Palm oil and paper plantations have spread across Indonesia in the past few decades.
Only Brazil has a higher deforestation rate than Indonesia. Between 1990 and 2005, Indonesia lost more than 28 million hectares of forest over three-fourths of which was virgin rainforest.
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