Rainforest in Sumatra, Indonesia.
West Sumatra has officially joined Indonesia’s effort to cut forest loss as a pilot province under the country’s REDD+ program.
The agreement, announced today, means that regencies, towns, and villages are now placed to receive funding to support REDD+ projects and initiatives.
“West Sumatra have shown the same vision and commitment to reducing deforestation,” said Heru Prasetyo, head of the REDD+ Agency. “This is in line with the Indonesia’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 41% by 2020.”
According to West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno, the central government has allocated funds for training programs in 102 forest villages, about a sixth of the total in the province.
Primary forest cover in West Sumatra has steadily declined since the early 1990’s, falling 19 percent between 1990 and 2010. Total forest cover in the province dipped 15 percent.
Heru said corruption, ineffective forest management, unclear land rights, spatial planning, and weak law enforcement are contributing factors to deforestation.
West Kalimantan. Courtesy of Global Forest Watch. Click for an interactive map.