Deforestation in Sumatra's Forests Reached 78,000 Hectares in 2024, with Riau and Aceh Being the Largest.

According to data from the Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) in the 2024 Ministry of Forestry Statistics report, the net deforestation rate for 10 provinces on Sumatra Island reached 78.03 thousand hectares (ha) in 2024.

Net deforestation refers to the net change in forest cover over a specific period, calculated from the gross deforestation area (loss of forest cover) minus the area of reforestation and/or afforestation (forest regrowth or new forest formation).

The deforestation components calculated in the report include areas both within and outside forest zones.

Within forest areas, there are conservation forests (HK), protected forests (HL), limited production forests (HPT), production forests (HP), and conservation production forests (HPK). Outside forest areas, there are other land use areas (APL).

Of all provinces in Sumatra, Riau and Aceh were the two provinces with the highest deforestation rates last year.

The net deforestation rate in Riau was recorded at 29.7 thousand ha. Based on its forest area components, the largest deforestation came from production forests (HP) (11.22 thousand), limited production forests (HPT) (7.91 thousand), and outside forest areas within APL (4.1 thousand).

Meanwhile, in Aceh, its total deforestation was 11.2 thousand ha. The largest deforestation components, both within and outside forest areas, were in APL (5.88 thousand), production forests (HP) (2.18 thousand), and protected forests (HL) (2.02 thousand).

Beyond these top two provinces, the deforestation area was less than 10 thousand ha. The province with the lowest deforestation was Lampung, at 213.2 ha.

Below are the details of the net deforestation area in 10 provinces on Sumatra Island in 2024, sorted from largest to smallest:

1. Riau: 29,702.1 ha

2. Aceh: 11,208.5 ha

3. Jambi: 8,290.6 ha

4. North Sumatra: 7,034.9 ha

5. West Sumatra: 6,634.2 ha

6. Bangka Belitung Islands: 5,664.1 ha

7. Bengkulu: 4,874.5 ha

8. South Sumatra: 4,027.1 ha

9. Riau Islands: 381.4 ha

10. Lampung: 213.2 ha

Total: 78,030.6 ha.