Forestry & Land

These are Regulations and Bills Regarding Natural Resources and the Environment Affecting the Indonesian Climate Crisis

18 October 201924 September 2019 by admin

The last 3 years the Indonesian government issued regulations related to natural resources and the environment that can accelerate the climate crisis in Indonesia. Not only that, in the final days of the 2014-2018 period, the DPR also competed for 2 bills (RUU) that threatened the future of all Indonesian citizens. Yet according to the IPCC and the UN, we only have 11 years left before the biggest climate disaster occurs. What regulations and bills can accelerate the Indonesian climate crisis?

Government Regulation on National Spatial Planning (PP 13/2017 – RTRWN)

This regulation amended several articles on national spatial plans that have been previously arranged. The problem is that this regulation allows the construction of a National Strategic Project (PSN) which previously did not exist in the Provincial/District/City RTRW only with the minister’s recommendation. Whereas the space for the implementation of activities/projects should be determined in advance in the Provincial/District/City RTRW. Determination of Provincial/District/City RTRW also needs a Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) to ensure integrated sustainable development and climate change adaptation and participatory consideration in a policy/plan/program.

Farmers’ Day: Still Awaiting Settlement of Agrarian Conflicts

18 October 201924 September 2019 by admin

Jakarta – (Tuesday, 24^th of September 2019) Many agrarian conflicts that occur in Indonesia today remind us of agrarian conflicts in the past. As we know, agrarian conflicts that occurred in Indonesia have occurred from ancient times, the most obvious is during the new order era.

The dynamics of the current series of agrarian conflicts are rooted in the ideology of the new order which confirm that development is something that must be done to boost the people’s economy. Therefore, according to the government, land is perceived as belonging to the public interest for development. Many cases of land grabbing are carried out by the government against the people.

In 1965 the government intimidated to seize people’s land. People who did not want their land to be seized were labelled with Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) accomplices, where the statement as PKI at that time was a scary thing. So that inevitably, people had to surrender their land to the government with compensation, even some people did not get compensation at all.

Under the pretext of accelerating development, the government in the new order era invited investors to carry out the development program. The wave of rejection of land seizure occurred at that time, unfortunately the wave of rejection was ignored by the new order government. The government seemed to defend investors rather than the people whose land was seized.

The Substance of the Land Bill Has Not Answered the Agrarian Problem, Ratification Must Be Postponed!

27 September 201913 August 2019 by admin

The Land Bill which is currently being discussed by the Indonesian Parliament and the Government has the aim to target the three main issues listed in the “considering” section of the draft bill, namely to overcome imbalances in the structure of control, ownership, and use of land; overlapping laws and regulations; and land conflicts and disputes. However, it is very unfortunate, that the substance of the Land Bill in the draft per 22^nd of June 2019 has not been able to answer the three main issues.

The current Land Bill hasn’t been able to answer the problem of structural imbalances in land tenure. This bill regulates restrictions on control of land, but also opens opportunities for deviations from these restrictions.[1] This bill in no way regulates the overhaul of land tenure and redistribution of excess land tenure. In fact, this bill has the potential to provide bleaching for violations of physical control over land that exceeds Land Cultivation Rights (HGU) or control over land that does not yet have an HGU.[2]

This bill also seems to revive the concept of domein verklaring, which was used by the Dutch to seize land from the community, by regulating that land which cannot be proven for its land rights will automatically become state land. This will certainly have a negative impact on indigenous peoples who are still struggling to gain recognition of their customary territories.

Plenty of Homework Left as Indonesian Palm Oil Industry Enters 2019

23 December 201821 December 2018 by admin

As Indonesia’s palm oil industry prepares to enter 2019, its stakeholders are pointing out the substantial number of homework that remained to be done to turn an industry which has become one of the nation’s main bread earner into one that is sustainable and therefore immune to the continuous attacks and criticism it has been plagued so far.

Derom Bangun, Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Council (DMSI) said that the heaviest and pressing challenge faced by the Indonesian palm oil industry was its sustainability, that everyone adheres to good agriculture practices.

“The biggest challenge is the matter of sustainability that needs to be accelerated so that the negative accusations addressed against the palm oil industry could be silenced,” Bangun told The Palm Scribe in a short text message.

He said that besides accelerating the process of sustainability certification to cover at least all palm oil plantation, it was also important for all companies to control their operation so that they do not engage in practices that could result in criticism from others. A consistent and persuasive supervisory role of the government was also needed to ensure the good practices are respected.

Tiur Rumondang, Indonesia Director of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) also said that Indonesia needed to be able to show that palm oil is and can be sustainably grown in Indonesia but emphasized that this needed collaborative efforts from all stakeholders.

ICEL