REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian Ministry of Environment Affairs and Forestry has launched a forest management index for the Bali and Nusa Tenggara ecoregions, according to a statement from the ministry received here on Wednesday.
Head of the Ecoregion Management Center of Bali and Nusa Tenggara Novrizal Tahar said that the index is an important strategic document as Indonesia has the world's attention due to high deforestation in its tropical forests.
Earlier, the Indonesian government had established cooperation with the United Nations Development Program to set up forest management index 2014 for 12 provinces, excluding Bali and Nusa Tenggara.
The forest management index is a review that provides an indicator framework for structural and practical management periodically by involving all related stakeholders.
It measures four aspects---forest monitoring certainty, justice for forest resources, forest management transparency and law enforcement.
"Setting up a forest management index needs cooperation from all stakeholders to get their advice and verify all data and information," Tahar said.
He added that the index is a controlling instrument for forest management in Indonesia.
The forest management index is also a recommendation for planning and recovering national forests, Tahar stated.