Inside Indonesia's AMDAL Assessment Committees: Structure, Membership, and Jurisdiction of the Tim Uji Kelayakan Under PP 22/2021

Executive Summary

Environmental Impact Assessment documents in Indonesia do not approve themselves. Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 (PP 22/2021) creates a structured system of assessment committees known as Tim Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup to evaluate AMDAL documents and determine whether proposed projects meet environmental feasibility standards. These committees operate at three levels of government, each with defined jurisdiction over specific types of projects.

The regulation establishes the Lembaga Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup as the central institution responsible for forming assessment committees, certifying experts, and maintaining the database of qualified assessors. This supervisory body ensures consistent assessment quality across Indonesia's decentralized environmental governance system while enabling regional governments to evaluate projects within their jurisdiction.

Understanding the Tim Uji Kelayakan system is essential for project proponents, environmental consultants, and regulatory professionals. The committee's composition, expertise requirements, and jurisdictional rules directly affect how AMDAL documents are evaluated and whether projects receive environmental approval.

Background & Context

Indonesia's environmental assessment system historically faced challenges with consistency and quality across different regions. Assessment committees varied in expertise levels, and jurisdictional questions sometimes created confusion about which authority should evaluate particular projects. The decentralized nature of Indonesian governance meant that provincial and district-level environmental agencies operated with varying degrees of capacity and standardization.

PP 22/2021 addresses these challenges by creating a structured framework that maintains regional assessment capacity while establishing national standards and oversight. The regulation introduces the Lembaga Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup as a central coordinating body that forms and monitors assessment committees throughout the country, while actual assessment authority remains distributed across the three-tier government structure.

The new framework also clarifies jurisdictional rules for complex projects that span multiple administrative boundaries or involve multiple permit authorities. Rather than leaving these cases to ad hoc arrangements, the regulation establishes clear principles for determining which committee has assessment authority based on permit level and project location.

The committee system connects directly to the AMDAL preparation and review process covered in earlier regulations. While AMDAL authors prepare documents according to specified requirements, and the review process follows defined timelines and criteria, the Tim Uji Kelayakan serves as the technical body that actually evaluates document quality and determines environmental feasibility.

Key Provisions

The Lembaga Uji Kelayakan: Central Coordinating Body

The Minister of Environment and Forestry forms the Lembaga Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup to serve as the central institution overseeing Indonesia's AMDAL assessment system.

Pasal 76 Ayat 2:

"Lembaga Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup bertugas membantu Menteri dalam: a. membentuk Tim Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup; b. melakukan sertifikasi ahli; c. menyusun daftar kumpulan ahli bersertifikat; d. menyediakan sistem informasi uji kelayakan yang merupakan bagian dari sistem informasi dokumen Lingkungan Hidup; e. melakukan pembinaan kepada Tim Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup; dan f. melakukan monitoring dan evaluasi pelaksanaan uji kelayakan oleh Tim Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup."

The Lembaga performs six key functions: forming assessment committees, certifying experts, maintaining the certified expert database, operating the assessment information system, providing capacity building to committees, and monitoring assessment implementation. This centralization ensures consistent standards while the actual assessment work occurs at appropriate government levels.

Three-Tier Committee Structure

Assessment committees operate at central, provincial, and district/city levels, with each tier serving projects that fall within its jurisdictional authority.

Pasal 79 Ayat 1-3:

"(1) Tim Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup yang berkedudukan di pusat sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 78 huruf a bertugas melakukan uji kelayakan Amdal untuk jenis rencana Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan: a. yang Perizinan Berusaha atau Persetujuan Pemerintah diterbitkan oleh Pemerintah Pusat; b. berlokasi di: 1. lintas negara; 2. lintas provinsi; dan/atau 3. wilayah laut lebih dari 12 (dua belas) mil laut diukur dari garis pantai ke arah laut lepas..."

The central committee handles projects requiring central government permits, cross-border projects, cross-provincial projects, and offshore projects beyond 12 nautical miles. Provincial committees assess projects with governor-issued permits, cross-district projects within a single province, and offshore projects up to 12 nautical miles. District/city committees evaluate projects with locally issued permits.

Committee Composition Requirements

Each assessment committee follows a defined structure with specific qualification requirements for leadership positions and membership.

Pasal 81 Ayat 1-4:

"(1) Tim Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 78 terdiri atas: a. ketua; b. kepala sekretariat; dan c. anggota. (2) Ketua dan kepala sekretariat sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) huruf a dan huruf b dijabat oleh pejabat yang menangani Amdal atau pejabat fungsional tertentu di instansi Lingkungan Hidup pusat, organisasi perangkat daerah yang membidangi Lingkungan Hidup provinsi, atau organisasi perangkat daerah yang membidangi Lingkungan Hidup kabupaten/kota yang memiliki pengalaman dalam penilaian Amdal paling sedikit 2 (dua) tahun."

The chair and secretary head must be environmental officials with at least two years of AMDAL assessment experience. Central committee membership includes at least five certified experts with diverse scientific backgrounds plus up to five ministry officials. Provincial and district committees include at least five certified experts, one ministry representative, and up to five regional environmental officials.

Certified Expert Categories

The regulation specifies twelve categories of certified experts who may serve as committee members, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of environmental impact assessment.

Pasal 81 Ayat 5:

"Ahli bersertifikat sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (3) huruf a dan ayat (4) huruf a terdiri atas: a. ahli mutu udara; b. ahli mutu air; c. ahli mutu tanah; d. ahli keanekaragaman hayati; e. ahli kehutanan; f. ahli sosial; g. ahli kesehatan masyarakat; h. ahli transportasi; i. ahli geologi; j. ahli hidrogeologi; k. ahli hidrologi; l. ahli kelautan; atau m. ahli lain sesuai dengan dampak rencana Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan."

The expert categories cover the primary environmental media (air, water, soil), ecological systems (biodiversity, forestry, marine), human dimensions (social, public health), physical systems (geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, transportation), and project-specific expertise as needed. This ensures committees can draw on appropriate technical knowledge for any type of project.

Expert Certification Requirements

Individuals seeking certification as committee experts must meet specific educational and professional criteria established by the regulation.

Pasal 85 Ayat 1:

"Mekanisme penilaian sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 84 ayat (2) dilakukan terhadap: a. latar belakang pendidikan minimal sarjana; b. pengalaman sesuai keilmuannya paling sedikit 3 (tiga) tahun; c. sertifikat pelatihan yang terkait dengan kajian Dampak Lingkungan; d. rekam jejak penilaian Amdal yang telah dilakukan oleh ahli tersebut; e. tulisan ilmiah dari ahli tersebut yang telah diterbitkan di jurnal nasional atau internasional; dan/atau f. rekomendasi dari asosiasi keahlian."

Expert candidates must hold at least a bachelor's degree, have three or more years of field-relevant experience, possess environmental impact assessment training, demonstrate an AMDAL assessment track record, show scientific publications, and obtain professional association recommendations. Upon certification, experts must sign an integrity pact before serving on committees.

Jurisdiction for Complex Projects

Integrated studies and regional development projects often involve multiple permit authorities, requiring clear rules for determining assessment jurisdiction.

Pasal 80 Ayat 1-2:

"(1) Dalam hal rencana Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan yang penyusunan Amdalnya menggunakan pendekatan studi terpadu atau kawasan serta memiliki lebih dari 1 (satu) Perizinan Berusaha atau Persetujuan Pemerintah dengan kewenangan penerbitan Perizinan Berusaha atau Persetujuan Pemerintah berada di: a. pusat, provinsi, dan kabupaten/kota; b. pusat dan provinsi; atau c. pusat dan kabupaten/kota, uji kelayakan dilakukan oleh Tim Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup yang berkedudukan di pusat."

When integrated or regional AMDAL studies involve permits at multiple government levels that include the central government, the central committee conducts the assessment. When provincial and district/city levels are involved without central government participation, the provincial committee takes jurisdiction. This hierarchy ensures consistent assessment for complex multi-permit projects.

Funding Mechanisms

The regulation establishes clear funding responsibilities for committee operations at each level.

Pasal 104 Ayat 1-4:

"(1) Pendanaan operasional kegiatan Lembaga Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup dibebankan pada bagian anggaran kementerian yang menyelenggarakan urusan pemerintahan di bidang Perlindungan dan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup. (2) Pendanaan operasional kegiatan Tim Uji Kelayakan Lingkungan Hidup yang berkedudukan di pusat dibebankan pada bagian anggaran kementerian..."

The Lembaga and central committee are funded through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry budget. Provincial committees receive funding from provincial budgets, and district/city committees from local budgets. This arrangement aligns funding responsibility with the jurisdictional authority that each committee exercises.

Implementation & Compliance

Project proponents should identify which Tim Uji Kelayakan has jurisdiction over their project early in the planning process. The jurisdictional rules based on permit authority and project location determine which committee will evaluate the AMDAL submission. For projects spanning multiple jurisdictions or involving multiple permits, the hierarchy principles in Pasal 80 establish which committee takes lead responsibility.

Regional governments seeking to establish or maintain assessment committees must meet the proposal requirements in Lampiran IV of the regulation. This includes demonstrating adequate qualified personnel, IT infrastructure, document archiving systems, and standard operating procedures. The Lembaga Uji Kelayakan provides capacity building support to help regional governments meet these requirements.

Certified experts seeking to serve on assessment committees should ensure their credentials remain current and that they are registered in the Lembaga's certified expert database. The certification process evaluates educational background, professional experience, training, track record, publications, and professional association standing. Maintaining active certification enables participation in committee work as opportunities arise.

The committee system operates alongside other AMDAL stakeholders including document authors, consulting firms, and the broader review process. Understanding how the Tim Uji Kelayakan fits within the overall environmental approval framework helps all participants work effectively within Indonesia's environmental assessment system.

Conclusion

PP 22/2021's Tim Uji Kelayakan framework establishes a structured, three-tier assessment system that balances national standards with regional implementation capacity. By creating the Lembaga Uji Kelayakan as a central coordinating body while distributing assessment authority across government levels, the regulation maintains consistent quality while respecting Indonesia's decentralized governance structure.

The detailed provisions on committee composition, expert certification, jurisdiction, and funding create a transparent framework for environmental assessment. For project proponents, environmental consultants, and government officials alike, understanding this committee system is fundamental to navigating Indonesia's environmental approval process successfully.

Official Source

This article analyzes Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Implementation of Environmental Protection and Management (PP 22/2021), specifically BAB II Bagian Keenam (Pasal 76-85) and Pasal 104 on Assessment Committees, plus LAMPIRAN IV on Committee Requirements.

The official regulation text can be accessed at:

Primary Source:
PP No. 22 Tahun 2021 - BPK Regulation Portal

Alternative Sources:
- JDIH Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan

Official Gazette: Lembaran Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 2021 Nomor 32

Disclaimer

This article was AI-generated under an experimental legal-AI application. It may contain errors, inaccuracies, or hallucinations. The content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice or authoritative interpretation of regulations.

We accept no liability whatsoever for any decisions made based on this article. Readers are strongly advised to:

• Consult the official regulation text from government sources
• Seek professional legal counsel for specific matters
• Verify all information independently

This experimental AI application is designed to improve access to regulatory information, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed.