Participants and resource persons of the System Dynamics Modeling FGD took a group photo at the end of the activity. Photo: Safitry T./USAID SEGAR

The integration of economic growth and environmental protection have become part of Indonesia's national plan. To strengthen this integration, USAID SEGAR supports the use of system dynamics in developing the models for forestry and water resources conservation sectors which were developed by the Directorate of Forestry and Water Resources Conservation (KKSDA) of the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas). The use of the aforementioned model aims to strengthen the duties and functions of the KKSDA Directorate of Bappenas in formulating and analyzing policy directions to develop future National Medium‐Term Development Plan (RPJMN) and National Long‐Term Development Plan (RPJPN) documents.

On December 16-17, 2021, a focus group discussion (FGD) on the System Dynamics Modeling for the Development of the National Forestry and Water Resources Model was held at the Hemangini Hotel, Bandung. Seventeen Bappenas' staff and a team of experts in the system dynamics field participated in this discussion, along with various resource persons from Ministries/Institutions, that include the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), and civil society organizations namely Kemitraan and WRI.

Within this FGD, the resource persons provided the participants with information about the achievement of development indicators in the 2020-2024 RPJMN, as well as the forestry development and water resources strategic issues related to economic, social, and environmental aspects. In this activity, the KKSDA Directorate of Bappenas evaluated, revised, and improved the causal framework in the model they developed earlier. Furthermore, they also model forestry and water resources policies, including the impacts of those policies on development, through a systemic approach.