UNDP supports Government to tackle land degradation, desertification, and drought  

Jakarta, 17 June 2010 – The world is commemorating the day to Combat Desertification and Drought today. It is a significant moment as over a billion poor and vulnerable people living in the world’s drylands. In Indonesia, desertification and drought has also impeded the efforts to reduce poverty and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Related to the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, UNCCD aims to sensitize the public to the fact that desertification, land degradation and drought dramatically affect the biodiversity resident in the soil. Although Indonesia comprises only 1.3 % of the earth’s land surface, it harbors a disproportionately high share of its biodiversity. It includes 11 % of the world’s plant species, 10 % of its mammal species, and 16% of its bird species.

“UNDP Indonesia has working closely with the Government of Indonesia to support mainstreaming of the action plans into relevant policy processes, and to raise awareness about the Convention and its related issues, especially improving ecosystem quality and poverty alleviation,” said Mr. Budhi Sayoko, UNDP Indonesia Assistant Country Director/Head of Environment Unit.

Through the Strengthening Community-Based Forest and Watershed Management (SCBFWM) Project, UNDP Indonesia contributed to enhance and upscale the Government’s programmes on community-based forest and watershed management by addressing inequitable distribution of benefits from forest resources and lack of coordination among stakeholders and sectors, as major underlying causes of land and forest degradation.

Funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF), SCBFWM is carrying out activities in 6 critical watersheds with globally-significant biodiversity resources  in 6 provinces of Indonesia, namely North Sumatera, Lampung, Central Java, Nusa West Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

“Through this project, and also other relevant projects, UNDP is aiming at establishing pilot to provide models of watershed management and forest resource conservation that is initiated by local communities for wider application nationwide,” added Mr. Budhi Sayoko. “It is our mandate to help the country cope with the disastrous impact of climate change on poor and vulnerable communities.”

Land degradation takes the form of critical land and damaged forest (inside and outside forested land), including damage on mangrove forest. Currently the issue of land degradation has been absorbed in the Reduction of Emission from Deforestation and Degradation or more known as REDD. UNDP in collaboration with UNEP and FAO is leading the implementation of UN-REDD and together with this project addresses the global challenges in the reduction of land degradation, deforestation and ultimately carbon emission.

UNDP Indonesia is also working alongside the Government to fight the impact of global warming through some projects working on climate change policy, promotion of sustainable renewable energy, and environmental management.