EduAsiaNews, Hollywood – Hollywood actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has praised what he described as Indonesia’s historic move to protect tropical forests, particularly in South Papua.
In a social media post, DiCaprio highlighted an announcement by Indonesia’s Presidential Special Envoy for Climate and Energy regarding plans to use degraded land as an alternative to clearing forest areas for agricultural and plantation commodities, including rice, sugarcane and oil palm.
DiCaprio said the shift in approach could save nearly two million hectares of forest that had previously been threatened by agricultural development. He described the move as significant not only for Indonesia but also for global efforts to protect biodiversity and address climate change.
“Historic news from the Republic of Indonesia in protecting its vital forests for our national security and the health of our global community,” DiCaprio wrote in his post.
In his statement, DiCaprio specifically referred to the food development project in Merauke, South Papua. He described the project as a planned forest-clearing operation that could become one of the largest of its kind in the world.
However, according to DiCaprio, Indonesia’s latest policy direction signals an important shift away from potential forest clearance toward the use of degraded land and ecosystem restoration.
He said the change could also pave the way for Indonesia to carry out one of the world’s largest environmental restoration programs.
For DiCaprio, Indonesia’s decision also demonstrates that food security, nature protection and climate action do not have to be conflicting objectives. Instead, they can advance together through development policies that take environmental sustainability into account.
DiCaprio also linked the importance of forest protection to fires that have affected Kalimantan and several other regions. He said such incidents demonstrate why natural ecosystems must be an integral part of every country’s national security strategy.
His praise has also brought Indonesia into the international spotlight as a country with a strategic role in safeguarding global biodiversity. Given its rich tropical forests and ecosystems, Indonesia’s forest management policies have significant implications for the future of the global environment.
At the end of his post, DiCaprio congratulated and thanked the Indonesian government and people for what he described as an extraordinary step toward protecting the planet.
The statement represents international support for Indonesia’s forest protection policy direction. However, the implementation of commitments to use degraded land, protect natural forests and restore ecosystems will be crucial to ensuring that the anticipated environmental benefits are realized (**).
