Efforts to conserve forests, as well as land and water, have been going on for some time. They are aimed at averting floods, reducing erosion and rejuvenating water production through reforestation and afforestation. Such efforts are complemented by construction projects such as reservoirs, dams and water channels. Government afforestation and reforestation projects are primarily directed at lands which have reached critical stages of deterioration. In the Third Five-Year Development Plan, these goals are repeated in the context of restoring forest functions or rehabilitating ecological systems in a way that will make the procurement of forest products and cultivated land for the local population more equitable.
Priority is given to plants which enhance land and water conservation.
This includes not only horticultural and fruit-bearing plants, but also those which act as green fertilizers and terrace strengtheners. The main task of Perum Perhutani, Indonesia's forest state corporation for Java, is to implement reforestation and afforestation activities in the best possible manner and in the shortest possible time. This entire area has now been reforested. The afforestation programme undertaken by Perum Perhutani aims at improving soil fertility, enhancing the social and economic standards of the population and rehabilitating water resources. In this context, water reservoirs have been created to provide clean water for the local population.