ASIATODAY.ID, DUBAI – The three countries with the largest tropical forests in the world, Indonesia, Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have agreed to collaborate in the forestry sector for climate change action.
This was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Ad Interim Indonesia, Erick Thohir through the session “Tropical Forest Power for Climate Action” on Thursday, 30 November 2023, on the sidelines of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28 UNFCCC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Indonesia hosted the meeting of the three countries with the largest tropical forests or around 42% of the world, where the meeting was held at the Indonesian Pavilion.
As stated by Erick Thohir, Indonesia places sustainable forest management as one of its development priorities. Various programs have been carried out, including preventing forest fires, controlling deforestation, social forestry, and peat and mangrove restoration.
“As a country with the second largest biodiversity in the world. “Indonesia places sustainable forest management as one of its development priorities,” added Erick.
Indonesia has tried to do its best in preventing and controlling forest and land fires.
“Forest and land fires have been reduced significantly by 85 percent from 1.65 million ha in 2019 to 204 thousand ha in 2022. In 2023 only 16 percent of forest and land fire incidents will occur on peatlands, significantly lower “compared to 34 percent in 2015 and 30 percent in 2019. The incidence of fires in the 2023 El Nino year is much lower than in the 2015 and 2019 El Nino years,” he explained.
However, Indonesia needs international cooperation to synergize and protect its natural resources.
Indonesia’s initiative to encourage cooperation between the three countries of Indonesia, Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo was previously expressed through the “Tropical Forest for Climate Action Partnership” at the G20 Summit in Bali, 2022.
Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, emphasized that the biggest challenge in handling forestry issues is political commitment at the highest level.
For this reason, President Lula da Silva will announce new funding related to deforestation (REDD). Brazil invites forest-owning countries to form a partnership of 80 forest-owning countries to develop sustainable forestry sector development.
The Minister of Environment of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eve Bazaiba Masudi, also underlined the need for cooperation between three countries from three different basin areas. This collaboration is an important platform for cooperation between three countries which have 42% of the world’s tropical forests, so they have a moral obligation to advance cooperation in these three basin areas.
In the final session, the Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, Alue Dohong, explained various policies related to forestry that had been implemented by the Indonesian Government and encouraged each country to become a hub to expand cooperation networks in each region.
Alue Dohong also emphasized that now is the time to immediately take concrete action as a form of implementation of this tropical forest cooperation. The meeting ended with a photo session with the three ministers. (AT Network)
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