HOW CAN INDONESIA ACHIEVE WATER, ENERGY AND FOOD SECURITY WITHOUT ERODING ITS NATURAL CAPITAL?

The document argues that Indonesia's economic growth is threatened by environmental degradation, specifically deforestation and peatland fires. While water security is prioritised across sectors, the energy and agriculture sectors focus on built infrastructure rather than forest conservation. The report highlights that ambitious food and bioenergy targets risk further deforestation unless productivity is increased or degraded land is prioritised. Governance is complicated by a complex legal framework and a disconnect between national plans and local government implementation. A case study in Aceh demonstrates that increasing oil palm yields to national averages could meet production targets without further land conversion, whereas 'business-as-usual' scenarios would require converting 220,000 hectares of land.

• There is a lack of coherence between sector plans regarding the role of forests; while water security objectives recognise forest management, the energy and agriculture sectors focus on 'built infrastructure, including the irrigation network and dams' and do not prioritise forest conservation for improving water supply.
• Ambitious targets for biofuels, agricultural commodities, and food self-sufficiency threaten forest conservation and emissions targets, but these risks could be mitigated by investing in productivity. In Aceh, increasing oil palm yields to the national industry average of 3.67 t/ha would reduce the land required by 41,000 hectares compared to current areas, while 'business-as-usual' production would require converting at least 220,000 hectares.
• The use of degraded land for food, commodity, and biofuel production is a key objective for the forest/environment sector but is not prioritised in the strategic plans of the energy and agricultural sectors, despite some local initiatives like a 2015 MoU in Central Kalimantan for bioenergy on former mining areas.
• Indonesia's governance is hindered by a complex legal framework and a disconnect between national and sub-national levels. Local governments often treat the national mid-term development plan as a "'menu' to choose from rather than a holistic set of guidelines," and they hold significant authority over land use and natural resource management.
• Legislative mapping shows that while the environmental/forestry sector is highly connected to other WEF sectors, the energy sector's legislation is the least connected. Across all sectors, laws focus on 'maximising production' with few references to the environment's role in ensuring security stability.
• Environmental degradation is creating significant economic risks; for example, forest and peatland fires cost an estimated 2% of GDP, and flooding in Aceh during 2006 caused damages estimated at US$210 million.

APA

Bellfield, H., Leggett, M., Trivedi, M., Pareira, J., & Gangga, A. (n.d.). HOW CAN INDONESIA ACHIEVE WATER, ENERGY AND FOOD SECURITY WITHOUT ERODING ITS NATURAL CAPITAL? Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WEF-Briefing-Note-2.pdf

Chicago

Bellfield, Helen, Matt Leggett, Mandar Trivedi, Jeni Pareira, and Adi Gangga. HOW CAN INDONESIA ACHIEVE WATER, ENERGY AND FOOD SECURITY WITHOUT ERODING ITS NATURAL CAPITAL? Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WEF-Briefing-Note-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bellfield |first1=Helen |last2=Leggett |first2=Matt |last3=Trivedi |first3=Mandar |last4=Pareira |first4=Jeni |last5=Gangga |first5=Adi |title=HOW CAN INDONESIA ACHIEVE WATER, ENERGY AND FOOD SECURITY WITHOUT ERODING ITS NATURAL CAPITAL? |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WEF-Briefing-Note-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bellfieldndhow, author = {Bellfield, Helen and Leggett, Matt and Trivedi, Mandar and Pareira, Jeni and Gangga, Adi}, title = {{HOW CAN INDONESIA ACHIEVE WATER, ENERGY AND FOOD SECURITY WITHOUT ERODING ITS NATURAL CAPITAL?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WEF-Briefing-Note-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }