CHALLENGE

Indonesia has a long history of poor forest management resulting in high levels of deforestation and forest degradation. To address this challenge, the Government is in need of an operational approach to knowledge management and information system (KMIS). This PROFOR activity involves a rapid stocktaking in the use of global good practice in modern information and communication technology (ICT), in development of a comprehensive KMIS in Indonesia.

APPROACH

Expected outcomes include:

• Improved awareness of relevant modern datasets, ICT tool and systems, and global good practice in integrating these into sustainable forest management;
• Improved visualization of, and public access to, available data related to forests;
• Support for the design of the proposed KMIS to support work in Indonesia and elsewhere.

Key Outputs includes a review of global ICT good practices, with short case studies; a primer of relevant public-domain datasets; the integration of case studies and spatial information into the World Bank’s “Spatial Agent” App (mobile and web versions); an electronic atlas of useful maps for Indonesia; an online mapping portal; a mobile app; and distance learning demonstrations for representatives in the Ministry of Forestry in Indonesia.

RESULTS

In reviewing global best practices of ICT systems and their application to Indonesia, this study found a wealth of global experience to draw from. There is a range of relevant public-domain datasets, including several datasets on forestry, plantations, protected areas, deforestation estimates, biodiversity, forest fires, watersheds, climate, land cover, population distribution, agriculture, and more. These include both datasets accumulated over time by national and global institutions, but also increasingly powerful products from Earth observation. There is a scope for harmonizing these resources and promoting public access to them.

Moreover, there is a need to find innovative ways to keep the information in the ICT review and the datasets/maps up-to-date and easily accessible.  Traditional publications with a sequential approach and “frozen” content do now allow these.  A younger, more connected generation also wants more accessible digital information.  This led the research team us to use innovative approaches such as e-books and apps to provide just-in-time interactive and customizable experiences to access information.

This work has significantly influenced the design of the Indonesia Promoting Sustainable Community-Based Natural Resource Management and Institutional Development Project on the integration of ICT, and could have much broader significance for a number of similar programs.  The activity also helped develop and integrate ICT aspects into the project, including support for a forest KMIS.

In addition, the activity supported improved visualization of forest data for Indonesia from a variety of global and national sources, including an ICT in Forestry e-book and an e-Atlas for Indonesia.  The inputs have been incorporated into the Indonesia Forest Investment Program (FIP) design and project documents.  The e-Atlas highlights information on population, sub-national perspectives, land cover, oil palm plantations, carbon storage, concessions, forest loss, infrastructure etc. to see major activities in the Forestry sector.  Spatial Agent and the Spatial Agent Data Primer were also enhanced to include this information.

For stories and updates on related activities, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or subscribe to our mailing list for regular updates.