PRIME NEWS POST 

The INDONESIAN – In an open letter addressed to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Prabowo Subianto, David Darmawan, Executive Director of AI for Good Indonesia, presents an in-depth analysis and strategic solution proposal regarding the ecological disasters plaguing Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. This initiative aims to address the root causes through the utilization of advanced technology and transparent governance.

Crisis Analysis and Systemic Failures

Darmawan emphasizes that the ecological disasters in Sumatra are not merely local misfortunes, but rather indications of systemic failures in environmental governance and technology utilization. Massive investments in digitalization have not yet touched crucial aspects such as transparency, prediction, and ecological law enforcement.

1. Predictive Paralysis: The loss of primary forest in Sumatra reached 230,000 hectares in one year (Global Forest Watch Data, 2023). Technologies such as Digital Twin Earth and high-performance computing (HPC) should be able to predict the impact of land-use change with high accuracy, but have not been optimally utilized.
2. Blockchain Blindness: Land disputes and overlapping permits are major sources of conflict. A transparent and publicly auditable blockchain system could resolve these issues, but the existing systems remain analog and closed.
3. Environmentally Unsound Financial System: Global financial flows still fund destructive practices (Rainforest Action Network Report, 2022). The banking sector has not mandated Environmental Risk Scoring as a credit parameter, making financial institutions inadvertently complicit in ecosystem damage.

4-Pillar Technology Action Plan for the Ecosystem

Darmawan proposes an integrated package of policies and programs as short-term and long-term solutions:

1. Pillar 1: Central Command Center – Digital Twin of Indonesia’s Forest (DTIF)
– Objective: Create a real-time digital replica of Indonesia’s forests as a single source of truth in decision-making.
– Action: Integrate satellite data from LAPAN (National Institute of Aeronautics and Space), IoT sensors, drone imagery, and climate data from BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency) into a single AI platform to monitor deforestation and model the impact of land clearing.
2. Pillar 2: Legal Revolution – Blockchain-Based Land and Concession Registry
– Objective: Eliminate land conflicts and ensure legal certainty.
– Action: Issue a Presidential Regulation mandating the registration of all concessions on a national blockchain platform. Each hectare will have a unique digital ID with clear records of ownership, permits, and restrictions.
3. Pillar 3: Green Finance Mandate – Environmental Risk AI for Banking
– Objective: Shift capital flows from destructive activities to restoration and the green economy.
– Action: Coordinate with OJK (Financial Services Authority) and Bank Indonesia to mandate the integration of AI Environmental Risk Scoring connected to DTIF data. The risk score will affect loan interest rates, providing incentives for financing environmental restoration.
4. Pillar 4: Synthesis – Local Wisdom Data Lake
– Objective: Integrate local wisdom into modern policies.
– Action: Launch a participatory program to map and digitize customary prohibition zones into the DTIF platform, granting them “Protected by Local Wisdom” status and financial incentives through carbon credit and payment for ecosystem services mechanisms.

Responsibility and Accountability

Darmawan emphasizes the importance of data-driven accountability, public performance dashboards, and protection for whistleblowers and citizen journalism reporting violations.

Indonesia’s Position on the World Stage

Implementation of this plan will position Indonesia as a global leader in technology for conservation, dominating the carbon market, and attracting dignified green investment.

Conclusion and Appeal

David Darmawan concludes his letter by stating that the disaster in Sumatra is a final opportunity for a reset. He is ready to lead the implementation of this 4-Pillar Action Plan with the support of technology, data, and ecology experts. The main goal is to make Indonesia’s economy grow in tandem with the recovery of nature.

Editorial Note:
Reported by the PRIME NEWS POST correspondent, compiled from various media sources. Photo: documentation / public archive