Kupang, 26 May 2026 — Efforts to strengthen climate change mitigation actions in East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT) continue through a series of strategic measures. One such measure is the development of a funding proposal for the Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) sector, which is expected to support the implementation of sustainable forest and land management programs while contributing to the achievement of Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 target.

As an archipelagic region with distinct dryland ecosystems and savanna forests, the forestry and land use sector plays a vital role for both the environment and the livelihoods of communities in NTT. However, the sector faces mounting challenges due to climate change, including drought, flash floods, and land degradation. The greatest challenge in mitigation efforts is the limitation of funding. By 2030, the total funding requirement for FOLU action in NTT is estimated to reach IDR 7.47 trillion, while the regional budget (APBD) capacity can only cover approximately 27 percent of that total.

To bridge this funding gap, the NTT Provincial Government has begun exploring alternative financing sources, including through the Result-Based Contribution (RBC) FOLU Norway scheme. However, accessing this funding scheme requires a strong proposal backed by adequate data, institutional readiness, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. In support of these efforts, the Center for Regional Information and Studies (PATTIRO), with support from The Asia Foundation, organized the FOLU NTT Draft Proposal Development Workshop on 25–26 May 2026 at Harper Hotel, Kupang City. The event was attended by the NTT FOLU Proposal Development Team from the NTT Provincial Office of Environment and Forestry (DLHK) and the PATTIRO team.

This workshop was part of a series of mentoring activities conducted by PATTIRO through the SETAPAK program over two days in Kupang. In her opening remarks, Ms. Sulastri H. I. Rasyid, Head of the NTT Provincial Office of Environment and Forestry, expressed appreciation to PATTIRO for its mentoring support amid the context of Regional Transfer Fund (TKD) cuts affecting NTT’s capacity to access green financing. She stated:

“The proposals submitted by the 15 participating KPHs will be taken into consideration for climate disaster mitigation. I hope that the decisions made will reflect a collective agreement, particularly regarding the focus areas and target locations.”

The workshop was facilitated by PATTIRO’s team comprising Bejo Untung, Ramlan Nugraha, and Fabya Luthfiana.

During the first day of the workshop, PATTIRO presented the various stages of mentoring conducted to date, as well as the process of engaging 15 Forest Management Units (KPH) in formulating the proposal and identifying priority program locations. Through the discussions, two main priority areas were agreed upon: Sustainable Forest Management, with a focus on Social Forestry and Forest and Land Fires; and Carbon Stock Enhancement through Forest and Land Rehabilitation within social forestry areas and Other Land Use Areas (APL).

The workshop also resulted in the designation of areas to be proposed as program locations, based on criteria including urgency of intervention for critical land conditions, the number of forest and land fire (Karhutla) incidents, and the need to strengthen social forestry. On the second day, all working groups continued drafting their proposals and presented their work in a plenary session. Participants and the PATTIRO team provided substantive input and feedback to ensure that the proposals developed were well-argued, supported by adequate spatial and non-spatial data, and capable of addressing the forestry and land management challenges in NTT.

Through this workshop, an initial draft of the FOLU NTT proposal was successfully developed as a significant step toward accessing the RBC FOLU Norway funding. Going forward, the proposal will continue to be refined to serve as an effective instrument in supporting green development, strengthening community resilience to climate change, and accelerating the achievement of emission reduction targets in East Nusa Tenggara Province. (Fab)