Land Cover in Indonesian Indigenous Territories: Majority is Forest Area, August 2025

Based on data released by the Indigenous Territory Registration Agency (BRWA), as of August 2025, 33.65 million hectares (ha) of indigenous territories have been mapped and registered with BRWA.

This area is an accumulation of 1,633 indigenous territory maps spread across 32 provinces in Indonesia.

BRWA also maps the tenurial status or ownership of indigenous territories, including land cover. Forest land cover within indigenous territories totals 23.93 million ha, consisting of 14.30 million ha of primary forest and 9.63 million ha of secondary forest.

“Indigenous territories with 23.9 million ha of well-preserved forest cover are the last bastion of tropical forests, a crucial carbon source, and home to biodiversity,” BRWA explained in its statement.

Furthermore, BRWA emphasized that indigenous territories are the living territories of indigenous communities, containing 4.98 million ha of cultivated or agricultural land that serves as the foundation for independent and sustainable local food systems.

BRWA stated that indigenous communities, strongly connected to biodiversity and traditional agricultural practices, have proven capable of sustainably providing abundant food varieties without damaging ecosystems.

“Indigenous women are key actors who not only ensure that traditional knowledge, wise cultivation practices, and the consumption of local food crops are preserved, but also passed down to the next generation of indigenous youth,” BRWA said.

Nevertheless, the release of this indigenous territory data is presented within the context of the climate crisis and land degradation globally and in Indonesia.

According to BRWA, both are intertwined and exacerbate the current conditions of indigenous communities. This is because the climate crisis triggers changes in extreme weather patterns and forest fires.

“In such situations, indigenous communities are among the most affected groups, as their lives are highly dependent on the balance of natural ecosystems,” BRWA stated.

It should be noted that BRWA is not an agency that conducts participatory mapping activities in indigenous territories. The maps registered with BRWA are the result of the work of indigenous communities and accompanying institutions or facilitators for indigenous territory mapping.