Restoration initiative: A worker checking plants at a nursery. Indonesia plans to build 30 nursery centres, each with an annual production capacity of 10 to 12 million seedlings. —Bloomberg
JAKARTA: As the world faces the critical challenge of climate change, building nurseries has become one of the key ways to mitigate its effects through reforestation and restoration efforts.
In Indonesia, a notable project is the Rumpin nursery in Bogor, which has emerged as a prominent model of public-private partnership in supporting Indonesia’s Folu net sink initiative.
Established in 2022, the Rumpin nursery was inaugurated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and is the result of a collaboration between the Environment and Forestry Ministry, the Public Works and Housing Ministry, and April Group, a pulp and paper producer.
April Group’s nursery system in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau province, inspired the Rumpin nursery development, which has the capacity of planting approximately 200 million new seedlings per year. The company continues to invest heavily in research and development to increase plantation fibre productivity.
Over the next three years, the Indonesian government plans to build 30 nursery centres, each with an annual production capacity of 10 to 12 million seedlings, which will result in a combined annual production of 360 million seedlings.
These seedlings will be used to rehabilitate and restore degraded land, to be planted on critical land, areas with high landslide potential and upper reaches of river basins.
The Rumpin nursery has successfully grown and planted thousands of native tree species, including Manglid, Sengon, Salam and Sirsak.
Since President Jokowi’s inauguration last year, the nursery has begun distributing seedlings in a number of locations such as the Ciliwung River.
Following the Rumpin nursery’s successful collaboration, the government is currently focusing on developing additional nurseries in other regions, including Danau Toba, Likupang, Mentawir and Bali.
By replicating and scaling up such models, Indonesia can unlock the potential of nurseries and other nature-based solutions to achieve its ambitious climate goals.
This public-private partnership has enabled the Rumpin nursery to align with the Indonesian government’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 31.89% unconditionally by 2030.
As part of its efforts to support Indonesia’s restoration and forestry goals, the April Group has earned an appreciation award for its role in the public-private collaboration that established the Rumpin nursery.
PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper, the operating arm of April Group, also received an appreciation award for its work to improve the performance of industrial forest plantations. Both awards were presented by Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya and received by Sihol Aritonang, president director of PT RAPP. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
