Government Accelerates Customary Forest Designation

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating the designation of customary forests as a form of the state’s presence in providing fair, legal, and sustainable access to forest management for communities.  Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni made the statement during a Working Meeting with Committee I of the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) on Monday, 26 January 2026.

He revealed that as of December 2025, the government has designated 170 customary law communities, with a total customary forest area of approximately 366,000 hectares. This designation has provided direct benefits to around 90,000 households across various regions.

“Cumulatively, up to December 2025, 170 customary forest communities have been designated, 170 communities with an area of around 366,000 hectares, providing tangible benefits to 90,000 households,” Raja Juli said.

The minister added that for the 2025-2029 period, the Ministry of Forestry is targeting the accelerated designation of 1.4 million hectares of customary forests. As a concrete step, the ministry has established a Special Task Force for the Acceleration of Customary Forest Recognition through Minister of Forestry Decree Number 144 of 2025, involving elements of government, academia, and civil society organizations.

The task force is responsible for speeding up the process of recognition and designation of customary forest status by addressing administrative, legal, and social obstacles. In addition to providing legal certainty and living space for customary law communities, the policy is also aimed at facilitating community economic development after designation.

“The main task of this task force is to accelerate the process of recognition and designation of customary forest status in Indonesia by overcoming administrative, legal, and social barriers, in order to provide legal certainty and living space for customary law communities, as well as to facilitate their economic development after designation,” he conveyed.

The designation of customary forests also underscores that forest management cannot be separated from social, historical, and local wisdom dimensions. The minister emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration between the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and regional governments in the process of recognizing and protecting the rights of customary law communities in Indonesia.