Norway’s billion dollar contribution to forest and peatlands conservation in Indonesia will not fund reforestation of deforested areas, a government minister told The Jakarta Post.
Agus Purnomo, head of the secretariat of Indonesia’s National Climate Change Council, said that Norway has only agreed to support reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) programs, which promote conservation and sustainable forest management, rather than REDD+ programs, which include reforestation.
“The agreement is for REDD Plus programs, but there is no money for carbon ‘absorption’ enhancement through tree planting,” Agus told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
In January, Indonesia announced it would plant up to 21 million hectares of trees to meet its 2020 emissions reductions targets. At the time, environmentalists expressed concern the scheme would focus on establishing commercial timber and oil palm plantations.
Wandojo Siswanto, the head of working group on the climate unit at the forestry ministry, told The Jakarta Post that Indonesia will seek to renegotiate the agreement with Norway.
“Indonesia needs money for tree planting,” he said, noting that deforestation is expected to reach 1.17 million hectares (2.9 million acres) in 2010.
Negotiators from Indonesia and Norway plan to meet next week.
CITATION: Adianto P. Simamora. Norway won’t fund RI tree planting program: Govt. THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA Mon, 05/31/2010
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