28 July 2015
Study Provides Valuation of Benefits of Indonesian Forests
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A report undertaken by the UN Office for REDD+ Coordination in Indonesia (UNORCID) concluded that an additional US$600 million annually is needed to maintain current Indonesian forest cover and enable forests to deliver critical ecosystem services, with REDD+ acting as a catalyst for the rehabilitation of forest and forest ecosystem services.

unorcid8 July 2015: A report undertaken by the UN Office for REDD+ Coordination in Indonesia (UNORCID) concluded that an additional US$600 million annually is needed to maintain current Indonesian forest cover and enable forests to deliver critical ecosystem services, with REDD+ acting as a catalyst for the rehabilitation of forest and forest ecosystem services.

Titled ‘Forest Ecosystem Valuation Study: Indonesia’ and led by Pavan Sukhdev, with funding support from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the study aims to highlight the significance of the contributions provided by Indonesia’s forests and their ecosystem services, which are often not accounted for in mainstream decision-making, but are nonetheless critical in their socioeconomic value. By providing quantitative evidence on the values provided by nature, the study seeks to significantly increase investments in forest ecosystems and promote the sustainable management of forests with a view to raising social equity and sustaining long-term economic growth. Similar studies have been undertaken in Kenya, Panama, Tanzania and Zambia.

The study emphasizes the urgent need for the government to find alternative ways of conserving forests while simultaneously protecting the livelihoods of people dependent on forest services. Community management of forest resources is proposed as one possible way forward, as well as improving existing approaches to payments for ecosystem services. It is suggested that REDD+ technical support and financial investments have a role to play in the pursuit of a green economy transition for Indonesia.

According to the publication, increasing local participation in forest management and promoting strategies for widespread private and public participation in conservation could lead to more effective protection of forest cover and Indonesia’s biodiversity. Such approaches could generate diverse opportunities for additional economic revenues, which could have beneficial impacts for economic growth and for poverty alleviation. The study underlines how environmental, social and economic issues are deeply interlinked. While valuation of forest ecosystem services demonstrates the role of forests in promoting multiple branches of the economy, it also emphasizes the strong social implications of forest degradation and deforestation. [UNEP Press Release][Publication: Forest Ecosystem Valuation Study: Indonesia]

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