24 January 2011, Carbonpositive news - Indonesia’s planned two-year moratorium on deforestation to have begun this month has been postponed. Two government ministries are still trying to reach consensus and agree details of the moratorium on permits to convert natural forests and peatlands, according to the ITTO Tropical Timber Market Report. Views differ on how much and which types of forests should be covered in the moratorium and there is yet no consensus on whether current forest concession- holders will still be permitted to clear any forest or whether they will be included in the ban and be compensated.
Two contrasting drafts for the moratorium have been submitted to the Indonesian president for approval. While the Ministry of Forestry seeks to enforce only a ban on new permits to clear primary forests and peatlands, the Indonesian Presidential Delivery Unit calls for the inclusion of secondary forests, the review of existing permits and the extension of the moratorium beyond two years. The Presidential Delivery Unit also proposed incentives and land swaps to be included as a form of compensation to existing permit holders.
The proposed moratorium will protect up to 43.8 million hectares of natural forests and up to half of the 20 million hectares of peatlands in the country. The Ministry of Forestry has identified 35 million hectares of land for development. To date, nine forest plantation companies have submitted proposals to develop 320,000 hectares of plantation forests. Any permit to develop these land areas depend on the final shape of the moratorium, the Tropical Timber Market Report says.
Indonesia aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26 per cent below business-as-usual levels by 2020 and sees reduced emissions from deforestation as the cornerstone of policies to meet that target. The Ministry of Forestry has earmarked 2.5 trillion Rupiah ($US276m) of the total of Rp6 trillion project budget in 2011 for priority programmes such as forest rehabilitation, enhancement of river watershed areas, forest fires control and conservation of biodiversity.
