The framework introduced the global “30 by 30” target, which aims to protect at least 30 percent of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine areas by 2030.
Indonesia has made progress toward this goal. The country currently has around 27 million hectares of conservation areas, representing approximately 21.7 percent of the total forest area and about 14.2 percent of Indonesia’s total land area. While the achievement marks significant progress, additional strategies are required to meet the global conservation target by the end of the decade.
As part of its commitment, the Indonesian government plans to align the Indonesian Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) with new policies that support biodiversity conservation goals. One approach being strengthened is the recognition of conservation areas outside formal protected zones, including territories managed by Indigenous Peoples known as Indigenous Territories and Community Conserved Areas (ICCA).
These areas may exist both within state forest zones and outside designated forest areas. In this context, the recognition of Indigenous territories plays a critical role.
In 2023, civil society organizations coordinated by the Badan Registrasi Wilayah Adat (BRWA) proposed approximately 26.9 million hectares of Indigenous territories for official recognition, including customary forests within these areas. To date, regional governments have recognized about 3.7 million hectares.
Indonesia also reaffirmed its commitment at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP30 held in Brazil in 2025. During the forum, the Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia announced a target to designate at least 1.4 million hectares of additional customary forests between 2025 and 2029. The initiative is supported by the establishment of a task force and a roadmap aimed at accelerating the recognition of customary forests.
However, officially recognized customary forest areas currently cover only around 360,000 hectares, highlighting the need for stronger policy acceleration and institutional support.
Against this backdrop, researchers from the Center for Social Forestry Studies UGM are conducting a study to better understand the role of customary forests in biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management. The research is led by San Afri Awang and involves international collaboration with Japanese scholars including Makoto Inoue of Waseda University, Daisuke Terauchi of University of Tsukuba, and Takahiro Fujiwara of Kyushu University.
The research aims to analyze the contribution of Indigenous communities to sustainable forest management models and examine the institutional processes and diverse governance systems of customary forests across Indonesia.
The study is part of a broader comparative research project examining community-based forest conservation in 14 tropical countries across Asia. The project is supported by funding from the JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research and is scheduled to run for four years from 2026 to 2030.
Through this international collaboration, researchers expect to strengthen global understanding of community-based conservation practices while contributing to the achievement of global biodiversity targets and sustainable forest management. (*)
