AKSARA App Helps Supervise Low-Carbon Development

in Central Java

Central Java is one of the provinces that signed the Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) on the implementation of the Low Carbon Development (LCD) initiative in Indonesia. To
strengthen the commitment, Provincial Development Planning Agency (BAPPEDA) with the
Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) conduct a socialization of low-carbon
development (LCD) in Semarang. Coinciding with this is a workshop to plan, evaluate dan report
low-carbon development action with the AKSARA app. The event, supported by GIZ under the
MRV-MMI project was attended by 35 municipal government representatives both online and
in-person for three days, 8-10 March 2021 in Semarang.

Irfan Darliazi Mananto, representatives of the Directorate for the Environment from
Indonesian Development Planning Body (Bappenas) said, “LCD have two focus, increasing
development planning quality for green economy and LCD action into five fields: energy, land,
industry, waste, and coastal areas and ocean (blue carbon).”

“AKSARA isn’t just for supervision and evaluation but can also be developed into
planning purposes. The planning module is still in process, currently it runs to monitoring and
evaluation purposes," he added.

Meanwhile, Agung Tejo Prabowo, Head of Infrastructure and Regional Development

(IPW) representing temporary head of Central Java Provincial Secretariat said that, based on
the records held by Central Java Government Literacy reports over 1,314 climate change
mitigation actions had been carried out, with a potential reduction cumulative GHG emission
achieved up to 9,58 million tons CO2eq (carbon dioxide equivalent) by 2020. "This activity is
expected to be supported in the future by reporting from 35 municipalities in Central Java to
manage and report on activities that support GHG emission reduction in their respective
regions," he said.
 To implement LCD, it is not only the supporting capacity and carrying capacity aspects
that are the focus of the analysis, but also the economic and social aspects. For example,
planting mangrove forests. Apart from reducing GHG emissions by absorbing carbon,
mangroves can improve the sustainability of the surrounding environment by holding off
abrasion and becoming a habitat for coastal biota.

Meanwhile, in the economic aspect, a good mangrove forest management can be an

economic opportunity for the surrounding community groups. For example, through the
creation of ecotourism that hires locals and, in the end, increases their income. (shabs)