Penajam Paser Utara, March 2 -- The Ministry of Forestry is empowering communities through its social forestry program as part of efforts to improve the economic welfare of people living around forest areas while preserving forest sustainability.

"Social forestry management access must reach communities at the grassroots level," said Catur Endah Prasetiani, Director General of Social Forestry at the Ministry of Forestry, when asked about forest-based community empowerment in the Core Government Center Area (KIPP) of Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in Sepaku, Penajam Paser Utara District, East Kalimantan, on Monday.

She stressed that the Social Forestry Program must not stop at granting forest management access alone, but should be supporte...