Indonesia launches elephant conservation action plan

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2 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry has officially launched the Sumatran Elephant Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK), emphasizing that the document must serve as a concrete and executable guideline to protect the endangered species rather than a passive policy document.

“We must monitor this together so that it does not remain merely a theoretical document, but becomes an operational one that can be implemented consistently at the grassroots level,” Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said at the launch event held in Jakarta on Wednesday (August 12), coinciding with World Elephant Day.

The minister said urgent action was needed as the challenges facing elephant conservation intensify. The number of active elephant enclaves in Indonesia has declined by half, from 42 to 21.

To reverse this decline, he emphasized that conservation efforts require not only technical planning but also shared responsibility among government agencies, local communities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations.

The action plan is part of a broader conservation effort supported by President Prabowo Subianto, including Presidential Instruction No 8 of 2026 on the Acceleration of Protection and Rescue of Sumatran and Kalimantan Elephant Populations and Habitats, alongside localized programs like the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) in Aceh.

Addressing ongoing human-wildlife conflicts, the government is promoting human-elephant coexistence initiatives in key regions such as Way Kambas, Lampung.

Among these measures is the planned construction of a barrier stretching more than 100 kilometers to reduce territorial conflicts that have led to damaged crops, property losses, and human fatalities.

Raja Juli stressed that reversing population declines requires a collaborative approach involving local communities, the private sector, environmental organizations, and state agencies.

Emphasizing that conservation requires not only a rational strategy but genuine care for living creatures, he called for all stakeholders to ensure that the plan translates into long-term efforts to safeguard Indonesia’s native elephant populations.