PORTALJABAR, GARUT REGENCY - The Garut Regency Government (Pemdakab) welcomes the plan to implement the Integrated Area Development (IAD) Program based on Social Forestry in its area.

This was conveyed by the Regional Secretary (Sekda) of Garut Regency, Nurdin Yana, in an audience with the Head of the Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership Center (PSKL) for the Java Region, Danang Kuncara Sakti, in the Meeting Room of the Deputy Regent of Garut, Monday (11/11/2024).

The audience discussed the development of social forestry businesses through the IAD concept as one of the leading programs in the first 100 days of work of the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni.

This program is expected to improve community welfare and maintain environmental sustainability in Garut Regency through the utilization of existing social forestry potential.

Nurdin said, through this program, land utilization will be carried out and also provide forest cover that can provide a healthy, responsible & sustainable environment.

"Automatically, the ending is towards the interests of public welfare, the third related thing is the preservation of an intact environment," he said.

Nurdin also emphasized that the synergy between the PSKL Center and the Garut Regency Government will have a positive impact on the community. He is optimistic that the community will welcome this program with enthusiasm.

As a follow-up, the Garut District Government will direct related ranks to explore the potential and inventory problems in the seven sub-districts that are the locations for IAD implementation, namely Cikajang, Cisurupan, Bayongbong, Cigedug, Samarang, Leles, and Kadungora.

Nurdin asked his staff to go into the sub-districts to communicate with the sub-district heads and village heads so that the potential and problems in each region can be aligned.

"Actually, that's where the root of the problem is, there's a problem, there's potential, let's try to combine them, so that it becomes something that supports the community," he said.

Head of the Java PSKL Center, Danang Kuncara Sakti, explained that Garut was chosen because it has extraordinary forest product potential, both non-timber forest products such as coffee, chocolate, avocado, and capolaga, as well as the use of environmental services for nature tourism.

The presence of the IAD program, continued Danang, aims to boost the economy in Garut Regency, because through this program there is an acceleration of forest resource development at the local level, so that the community can boost Garut's regional income, also in the context of environmental improvement.

"So Garut's topography also ranges from hills to lowlands. Well, on this hill, if we look at it, most of it has not been optimally covered, so with this program, we are not only providing input for plants that provide economic value to the community," he said.

With this program, the party hopes to increase the conservation value in the protected forest area of Garut Regency.

According to him, this program is expected to run immediately in 2025 as part of the short-term agenda, while also preparing Garut Regency towards the 2045 Golden Indonesia Program, by utilizing the potential of up to 74 thousand hectares of land that is not yet optimal or only 10%.

"Currently, there are only around 6 thousand or so, so if we can include the rest (in the IAD program), I am sure Garut can grow extraordinarily," he said.