Signing of Record of Discussions on Technical Cooperation Project with Indonesia: Strengthening the country’s capacity to manage forests and peatlands for climate change mitigation
2023.10.06
On September 22, 2023, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions with the Government of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta for the “Climate Change Mitigation Project in LULUCF sector,” a technical cooperation project.
Signing Ceremony
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognizes the significant contributions to climate change mitigation that are made by the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector and the conservation of forested lands. Indonesia holds 94 million ha of forest lands, which is equivalent to around 53% of the country’s total land area, and is home to the third largest tropical forest in the world, following those in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country also holds the largest area of tropical peatlands in the world, which serve as a major carbon sink and are estimated to account for around 35% of total global peatlands.
However, as a result of increases in forest development and timber production since the early 1970s, significant deforestation, the conversion of land for use in mining, agriculture, and plantation building, as well as forest fires and illegal logging, among other issues, have meant that the coverage of forested areas in the country declined from approximately 65% in 1990 to approximately 53% in 2015. Such a reduction in forested areas has led to the drying out of tropical peatlands, which in turn has led to a vicious cycle of larger-scale forest fires and further decomposition of peatlands. More GHGs are released through this process, leading to a critical issue for the planet.
This project aims to develop methodologies for monitoring GHG emissions from peatlands and low-carbon agricultural practices for sustainable peatlands management in Indonesia. Applying these methodologies and practices at a subnational/state level, the project will support REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) activities, while also promoting the development and implementation of a GHG inventory and measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) policies in the LULUCF sector. In doing so, the project will strengthen Indonesia’s capacity for sustainable land management that contributes to climate change mitigation, thereby enabling the country to accelerate its efforts toward achieving its nationally determined contributions (NDCs). In addition, this project will also contribute to the achievement of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Goals 13 (Climate action) and15 (Life on land).
Details for the project are provided below.
Country | The Republic of Indonesia |
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Project title | Climate Change Mitigation Project in LULUCF Sector |
Planned implementation period | 36 months |
Executing agency | Directorate General of Climate Change Control, Ministry of Environment and Forestry |
Target region | All peatlands in Indonesia, South Sumatra (for some of the project’s outputs) |
Specific project details (provisional) | To achieve Indonesia’s NDC in the LULUCF sector, the project aims to enhance the country’s capacity to sustainably manage forests and peatlands, doing so by supporting the development and implementation of a GHG inventory and MRV in the LULUCF sector at a subnational/state level, improving the GHG monitoring system specifically for peatlands, promoting a green economy by reducing impacts on ecosystems, and supporting the establishment of REDD+, also at a subnational/state level. |
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