ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA — Indonesia is launching an ambitious effort to attract international investors, donors, and development partners to help finance the protection of its national parks and iconic wildlife, marking a significant shift away from reliance on state budget funding toward sustainable green finance.
The initiative was highlighted during the Donors and Investors Consultation Meeting on Innovative Financing for National Park Management and Iconic Species Conservation held in Jakarta on June 8.
According to Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Chairman of the Task Force on Innovative Financing for National Parks and Iconic Species Conservation, the program reflects the high-level commitment of President Prabowo Subianto to strengthen long-term conservation funding and improve the protection of Indonesia’s globally significant biodiversity.
Recognizing the importance of international collaboration, Hashim called on global stakeholders to join Indonesia in safeguarding one of the world’s richest natural ecosystems through strategic partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms.
To achieve this goal, the task force has adopted a dual-track strategy. The first focuses on creating a supportive investment climate through regulatory reforms, institutional strengthening, and policy development. The second seeks to mobilize direct investment by building a pipeline of bankable conservation projects and developing green financial instruments in collaboration with international partners.
Indonesian officials believe that combining regulatory reform with investment mobilization will create a stronger and more sustainable conservation financing framework, allowing pilot projects to serve as catalysts for broader systemic change.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni, represented at the meeting by Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki, said the initiative has moved beyond policy discussions and entered a concrete implementation phase.
Indonesia is currently preparing supporting regulations, identifying short-term targets, and coordinating across government agencies to accelerate the transition toward a more financially independent conservation model.
The government’s vision is to enable national parks and endangered species conservation programs to generate sustainable revenue streams through modern green-finance instruments while maintaining strict ecological safeguards.
As part of the initiative’s early-stage “quick wins,” the Ministry of Forestry is accelerating the transformation of four flagship national parks into Public Service Agencies (Badan Layanan Umum or BLU): Komodo National Park, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Mount Rinjani National Park, and Way Kambas National Park.
Under the BLU model, revenue generated from tourism and other park-related activities can be retained and reinvested directly into conservation operations, biodiversity protection, and community development programs rather than returning to the central treasury.
Mari Elka Pangestu, Vice Chair of the Task Force for Conservation Investment, emphasized that community participation and equitable benefit-sharing are central principles of the new financing framework.
She stressed that all green-finance instruments developed under the program will be subject to rigorous governance, monitoring, and evaluation standards to ensure environmental integrity and accountability.
Beyond capital mobilization, Indonesia is also seeking international expertise, technical assistance, and institutional knowledge to help strengthen regulatory frameworks, governance systems, and conservation management practices.
The approach has received positive responses from foreign diplomats, international organizations, and development institutions, many of whom expressed readiness to support Indonesia’s efforts to protect one of the planet’s most important biodiversity hotspots.
By combining conservation goals with innovative financing, Indonesia hopes to establish a new model in which national parks become not only strongholds of environmental protection but also engines of sustainable development, delivering long-term benefits for local communities while preserving critical ecosystems for future generations. (AT Network)
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