Friday, October 9, 2009
       Indonesia Introduces BFCP Innovative Initiatives
       Source: ANTARA News
       Jakarta - The Indonesian government has introduced an Berau Forest Carbon Program (BCFP) innovative 
       initiative in Berau Regency to reduce emissions from logging and forest destruction (REDD) on the 
       sidelines of the UN Climate Discussions in Bangkok. 
       According to a press statement received by ANTARA in Jakarta, Thursday, the BFCP is one of several REDD
       demonstrations in Indonesia, which supported efforts in the development of mechanisms of the national
       REDD program in the context of climate change. 
       "Reducing emissions from logging and forest destruction is possible. By linking the initiative in Berau 
       district, which is one of the processes at regency level in the overall national climate change program, 
       and even in international discussions, we wanted to show how the REDD needs to be implemented," 
       said Head of Delegation of Indonesia, Agus Purnomo. 
       The BCFP forest carbon program on a scale in an integrated regency, which in 2015 is expected to 
       achieve effective management of 800.000 hectares of forests, to prevent carbon emissions of 10 million 
       tons of CO2 in 5 years to protect land with important hydrological conditions are also of high biodiversity
       value, including habitat for 1,500 orang-utans, and create increased yield and economic opportunities 
       for residents living near forests. 
       On the occasion, Indonesia introduced a plan to promote the implementation of REDD readiness to 
       more than 40 participants representing organizations and the partner countries. Wandojo Siswanto, 
       Climate Change Team Leader of the Ministry of Forestry said said that REDD could demonstrate a good 
       implementation of sustainable development and decentralized governance structure in addition to 
       respecting the rights and inputs from local stakeholders. 
       The BFCP also provides a unique opportunity to bring together all the REDD key components under a 
       coherent program, including land use planning, forest management and agricultural areas, and the 
       measurement of carbon emissions at regency level. 
       It is expected that the program can provide tangible results for forest conservation, improve the life of 
       local people and sustainable forest management. 
       "Indonesia has demonstrated a leadership with the support of this program. In face of various challenges
       in a comprehensive extent, these programs can be a solution by reducing carbon emissions from 
       deforestation, which will provide concrete examples for the world," said The Nature Conservancy (TNC) 
       Director for International Government Relations, Andrew Deutz, a leading conservation organization in 
       the world and one of the NGOs that supports the planning and implementation of the project. 
       With techniques to strengthen forest management, including low impact logging, expansion of protected
       areas, and responsible practices of oil palm plantations, this program aims to move towards low carbon 
       emissions and at the same time meets the development goals. 
       These efforts also helps Indonesia achieve the emission reduction proposal for 26 per cent in 2020 as 
       announced the President at the G-20 summit last month. 
       "Berau regency is interested in moving forward to something sustainable, but we also must consider the 
       development and overall economic stability. This program allows us to achieve both," said Suparno, 
       assistant to the Berau Regent. 
       The audience representing a number of developing countries and developed countries interested in 
       sharing experience and learning the pilot program like the one in Berau. 
       Among the leading countries, in this case the Australia, which is currently supporting Indonesia in 
       developing a national framework of reducing forest destruction under the Kalimantan Forest and Climate
       Partnership. 
       The program aims to prevent the destruction of 70,000 hectares of forests and peatland in Kalimantan, 
       rehabilitate 200,000 hectares of damaged peatland and plants, and 100 million new trees on peatland. 
       The BFCP is designed to bring the developing and developed countries into concrete action that will 
       reduce carbon emissions as well as break the deadlock in the waiting game between the two worlds.