Only a Few Indonesian Customary Territories Legally Recognized by August 2025

As of August 2025, 33.65 million hectares (ha) of indigenous territories in Indonesia have been mapped and registered with the Agency for the Registration of Indigenous Territories (BRWA).

However, only a small number of indigenous territories have legally recognized.

"Of the total mapped indigenous territories, only 18.9% have been legally recognized by the state through regional regulations or decrees from regional heads," BRWA stated in a press release (August 11, 2025).

Currently, there are three statuses for the recognition of indigenous territories in Indonesia, namely:

1. Regulation (Pengaturan): Indigenous territories in provinces/regencies/cities that already have local legal products concerning the procedures for recognizing indigenous communities, but whose recognition has not yet been established by the local government.

2. Legal Recognition (Penetapan): Indigenous territories that have received state recognition and have legal certainty based on provincial/regency/city local legal products.

3. No Status Yet: Indigenous territories that do not yet have either "Regulation" or "Legal Recognition" status.

As of August 2025, the area of indigenous territories with "Regulation" status reached 24.69 million ha.

Furthermore, the area of indigenous territories with "Legal Recognition" status or that have been legally recognized reached 6.37 million ha (18.9% of the total mapped indigenous territories).

There are also another 2.59 million ha of indigenous territories that do not yet have any status.

"This striking gap between mapping and recognition is proof that the state is still lagging in keeping up with the initiatives of indigenous communities, who have already taken action," BRWA stated.

"Recognition is a crucial foundation for efforts to protect and advance the rights of indigenous communities. The state must immediately pass the Indigenous Peoples Bill to ensure Indonesia's diverse cultural identity remains strong and its biodiversity is preserved," they added.

It should be noted that BRWA is not an institution that conducts participatory mapping activities in indigenous territories.

The maps registered with BRWA are the result of work by indigenous communities and institutions or facilitators assisting in indigenous territory mapping.