Forest Carbon and EUDR in East Nusa Tenggara

Updated 2026-11-02 · 3 min read · By the akar.earth specialist team

Forest carbon in East Nusa Tenggara: savanna and dry monsoon forest, sandalwood, Flores coffee and cocoa, Komodo and Sumba parks, mangroves and EUDR exposure.

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is Indonesia’s driest province, a landscape of savanna, dry monsoon forest and steep volcanic islands, so its carbon potential lies in agroforestry, fire management and restoring degraded dry forest rather than large rainforest projects. EUDR exposure is concentrated in Flores coffee and cocoa.

Geography and forest types

NTT spans more than 500 islands. The largest are Flores, Sumba, the Indonesian half of Timor, and the Alor and Solor groups. The climate has a long dry season, and the eastern islands are among the driest in Indonesia.

Forest types are distinct from western Indonesia:

• Savanna and grassland cover large parts of Sumba and Timor. Much is maintained by fire and grazing, and some is natural.
• Dry deciduous monsoon forest survives on hills and in protected areas.
• Montane and semi-evergreen forest grows on Flores’s higher volcanoes and in western Flores, which is wetter.

Protected areas include Komodo National Park (dry forest, savanna, mangroves and rich marine life), Kelimutu National Park with its coloured crater lakes, and the Manupeu Tanadaru and Laiwangi Wanggameti forests on Sumba, now managed together as one national park.

Peat and mangroves

There is no peat. Mangroves fringe sheltered bays on Flores, Sumba, Timor and smaller islands, and are important for fisheries and coastal protection. Firewood cutting and pond conversion threaten some areas. Community mangrove restoration fits here; see blue carbon.

Sandalwood

Timor and Sumba were famous for sandalwood (Santalum album) for centuries. Over-harvesting and restrictive state control of trees on private land led to severe decline. Rules have since changed to let landholders benefit, and there is renewed interest in sandalwood in agroforestry. It grows slowly and is a semi-parasite that needs host trees, so it suits mixed systems better than plantations. Its carbon contribution is modest; its value is cultural and economic.

Main commodities and drivers of land-use change

• Coffee: arabica from Bajawa (Ngada) and Manggarai, and robusta at lower elevations on Flores.
• Cocoa: smallholder cocoa in Sikka, Ende and other Flores districts.
• Candlenut: widely grown in agroforestry; NTT is a significant producer. See candlenut.
• Cashew, coconut, vanilla and areca: common smallholder crops; not EUDR commodities.
• Cattle: grazed on savanna, especially on Timor and Sumba. Cattle is an EUDR commodity, but NTT cattle are sold domestically, not exported to the EU.

Pressures on forest include shifting cultivation with burning, uncontrolled savanna fires, grazing and firewood collection.

Which carbon project types fit

Carbon per hectare is lower than in humid provinces, so projects need low costs and strong co-benefits to work financially. Avoid planting trees on natural grassland, which can harm biodiversity and water and will draw scrutiny from buyers. See the agroforestry hub and species selection for ARR.

EUDR exposure

Flores coffee is the province’s main EUDR exposure, with much sold to specialty buyers in Europe. Cocoa from Flores is a second stream. Most gardens are long-established, but some coffee has expanded into forest estate. Plots cleared after 31 December 2020 cannot supply the EU, and plots in forest estate need a legal basis. See EUDR and coffee.

Customary land

Customary land tenure is strong across NTT. In Manggarai, communal land is traditionally divided in circular lingko fields. Clan and village customary authorities control land allocation on Sumba and Timor. Projects need consent from customary leaders as well as government.

Permenhut 6/2026 recognises customary communities and social forestry groups as legitimate carbon participants. Community forest licences exist in coffee areas of Flores. See customary forest carbon.

Fire and dry-season risk

Fire shapes NTT’s landscapes. Some burning is deliberate, to renew pasture or clear fields, and some escapes. For tree-based projects, a single uncontrolled fire can destroy years of growth, so firebreaks, community fire agreements and early-season burning plans are part of project design, not an extra.

Practical next steps

Start with customary tenure mapping and a land cover history check. Compare with West Nusa Tenggara and Maluku to the north-east, and see the forest carbon hub.