This is the Indonesian Province with the Largest Protected Forest Area.

Papua is the Indonesian province with the largest area of protected forest. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, this area reached 7.8 million hectares in 2019.

The total area of forest in Papua is approximately 42.5 million hectares, providing a habitat for unique Papuan flora and fauna such as birds of paradise, cassowaries, giant rats, and others. Papua is also a key contributor to Indonesia's position as one of the countries with the largest forest areas in the world.

Other provinces with the most protected forests are East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan, with 2.85 million hectares, and West Kalimantan with 2.31 million hectares.

Protected forests are areas whose existence is protected because of their role in maintaining the ecosystem. The designation of forest areas as protected forests is based on their function as providers of clean water reserves, erosion control, and habitats for flora and fauna.

A forest area is designated as a protected forest if it meets several criteria, such as being located at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level or higher, having a slope of 40% or more, having soil highly susceptible to erosion, being a coastal protection area, or being a water catchment area.

For information, in a 2020 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Indonesia was ranked eighth in the world for the largest forest area, contributing 2% of the global total forest area.

(Read More: South Sulawesi Had the Most Forest Reforestation in 2019)