The Indonesian forest moratorium, which began with the issuance of Presidential Instruction No. 10 of 2011 concerning the Suspension of Forest Utilization Permits in Primary Forests and Peatlands, is one of the eagerly awaited policies by civil society concerned about the fate of Indonesian forests and the global climate conditions. The destruction of forests due to uncontrolled extractive and destructive business activities such as logging, mining, and large-scale plantations has caused immeasurable suffering, not only to the environment itself but especially to the communities living inside and around the forests who partly or wholly depend on forest resources for their daily lives.

Economic-political compromises and lobbying by extractive industry players have rendered the moratorium policy, which is set to end in 2013, substantively weak. After being delayed for months, the moratorium policy was issued with inherent impotence if its goal is to save forests and reduce emissions. Firstly, it excludes ‘secondary natural forests’ from protection, exempts existing permits (including principle permits and extensions), ecosystem restoration, and projects considered ‘vital,’ including large-scale food and energy projects, geothermal, and oil and gas. This Presidential Instruction also does not apply to certain agencies closely related to deforestation, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Energy and Mineral Resources. Besides being weakened by the aforementioned substantive weaknesses, the legal form of the moratorium policy itself, which is only a Presidential Instruction, further diminishes its power and influence.

Meanwhile, the civil society version of the moratorium embodied in a ‘joint platform’ for an effective moratorium sees it as an opportunity to step back from the issues and take permanent and long-term governance improvement measures. In this regard, the moratorium implementation period should not be limited to a very short time (only two years) but determined by achievements based on a set of objectively measurable criteria and indicators. This joint platform, in turn, serves as a reference for monitoring the implementation of the current government version of the moratorium policy. Monitoring is conducted not only to assess to what extent the current government moratorium policy, which has less than a year left, has achieved its stated goals but also to identify the shortcomings and weaknesses of the policy itself when confronted with realities on the ground. Therefore, continuous monitoring is expected to contribute not only to strengthening existing policies but also to their improvement or even renewal.

The Climate Justice Learning Circle report on the implementation of the moratorium in Central Kalimantan is one of the outcomes of climate justice monitoring activities, a collaboration between HuMa and Walhi Central Kalimantan. Central Kalimantan is the province with the highest deforestation rate in Indonesia. With approximately 1,296 extractive permits covering 78% of the province, numerous procedural violations, permit overlaps, unclear provincial spatial planning, and inadequate enforcement and protection of community rights, the moratorium implementation in Central Kalimantan faces its own challenges. The continued opening of natural forests and peatlands in Central Kalimantan, the lack of inventory of community-managed areas and important ecological sites at risk, the absence of law enforcement against illegal permits, and ongoing land conflicts due to the lack of mechanisms for agrarian and natural resources conflict complaints and resolution make the moratorium implementation in Central Kalimantan still far from being effective.

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The complete report (7.7 MB) can be requested via the following email: anggaliaputri@gmail.com