STRENGTHENING BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AT KEY LANDSCAPE AREAS IN NORTHERN SUMATRA BIODIVERSITY CORRIDOR (DAIRI FOREST BLOCK – BATANG TORU FOREST BLOCK AND BATANG GADIS NATIONAL PARK)
FOREWORD
The three districts (South Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli and North Tapanuli) have similar history, demographic, livelihood and economic characteristics. All three have large rural-based populations with population densities varying from 126/km2 in Central Tapanuli, to 69/km2 in North Tapanuli, to 54/km2 in South Tapanuli. The population is dominated by the indigenous Batak Toba, Batak Pesisir, Batak Angkola-Mandailang ethnic groups with some communities of Javanese or Nias.
The project goal is strengthening biodiversity conservation in the Northern Sumatra Corridor through forest conservation and community based reforestation. The project outcomes are following:
Map 2. . Deforestation likelihood map Note : Result of MCE produces map of continuous values ranging from 0-255, with 255 (highest values) representing the highest likelihood of deforestation.
Map 3. Forest cover detection change monitoring results and forest clearance in
MAP 5. Shown spatial planning policy change endorsed and signed by Governor of North Sumatra to change production forest status to ptection forest status in BTFE which cover area approx. 168.000 hectares .
On 17 – 18 October and 30 – 31 October 2009, multi-stakeholder meeting for collaborative management institution and sustainable funding for future Batang Toru management was conducted in Brastagi.
Final draft documents that mater discussed by small working group. There are four preferences for alternative of collaborative institution model selected, that is a). Technical Implementation Unit and or Regional General Services Agency, which it’s declared and acknowledged based on Head of Government Decision and followed by local government regulation, fully owned and managed by government official, b). Management Authority Agency that it is affirmed and its recognized by Head of Government Decision and pursued by local government regulation, Steering Council can consist multi-stake holder representatives c) Foundation institution, this option formed by Act Notary, owned and managed by stakeholder representatives, and it’s has tendency is not to be transparent and exclusive d) Association institution, this alternative formed by Act Notary, owned and managed by stakeholder representatives as well as government and non government delegates and more inclusive, transparent and democratic compare with a foundation institution.
Map 6. Forest clearance inside Batang Gadis National Park, 2003-2007.
Graph 2 . Distribution of clearings by size class in BGNP
Graph 3. Cumulative area cleared for each size class in BGNP
Table 7. Farmer’s income from jungle rubber and selected rubber plantation
project. Local farmers expected alternative income from the plantation and that the species they wanted to plant were mainly rubber along with candle nut and fruit trees, such as durian and mango. However, farmers mentioned that what they wanted was more rubber than the other species
MAP 7. Overall result which derived from combination of sixteen different criteria. Enlarge map shows of highest priority for reforestation sites.
MAP 8. The highest reforestation priority sites selected by GIS Analysis
Erwin A. Perbatakusuma, Jatna Supriatna, Iwan H Wijayanto, Herwasono Soedjito, Abdulhamid Damanik, Khairul Azmi, M. Chandarwarahan Arif and Abu H Lubis
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Dalam kurun waktu dua tahun telah dilakukan kegiatan konservasi yang didanai oleh GITI Tires oleh Conservation International – Program Sumatera. Lokasi kegiatan difokuskan di Provinsi Sumatera yang meliputi kawasan hutan yang nilai biodiversitas tinggi seperti Kawasan Batang Toru di Kabupaten Tapanuli Selatan, Taman Nasional Batang Gadis di Kabupaten Mandailing Natal dan Hutan Dairi – Simbuatan Selatan – Puncak Sidiangkat di Kabupaten Dairi.
Proyek ini bertujuan untuk memperkuat konservasi keanekaragaman hayati di Koridor Biodiversitas Sumatera bagian Utara melalui konservasi hutan dan reforestasi berbasis masyarakat. Adanya intervensi kegiatan konservasi diharapkan memperoleh hasil akhir sebagai berikut :
1. Upaya konservasi hutan di kawasan tangkapan air Danau Toba dipekuat
2. Perambahan hutan di Kawasan Hutan Batang Toru dihentikan
3. Kegiatan pemantauan tutupan hutan dan biodiversitas di Batang Toru dengan fokus orangutan Sumatera dan harimau Sumatera dilanjutkan dan diluaskan.
4. Integritas ekosistim Taman Batang Gadis diselamatkan
5. Survey intesif status konservasi dan penyadaran konservasi harimau Sumatera dsi Taman Nasional Batang Gadis dilaksanakan
Secara ringkas capaian hasil akhir dari kegiatan konservasi selama dua tahun sebagaimana diuraikan dibawah ini :
1. Konservasi Kawasan Hutan Dairi – Simbuatan Selatan – Puncak Sidiangkat
Ø Hutan alam yang masih tersisa seluas 6.000 hektar terlindungi.
Ø Petani kopi di empat desa telah mulai merubah tata cara budidaya dengan menerapkan produksi kopi yang berkelanjutan melalui penanaman jenis pohon pelindung kopi dan mengurangi penggunaan bahan kimia buatan pabrik
Ø Kesepakatan konservasi pelestarian alam desa dan kopi lestari telah didiskusikan, disetujui dan ditandatangi oleh masyarakat desa di empat desa
Ø Sebanyak dua kasus penebangan hutan illegal telah berhasil dihentinkan oleh Forum Petani
Ø Deliniasi dan penandabatasan kembali dengan patok batas semen permanen disepanjang antara kebun kopi masyarakat dengan hutan alam telah dilakukan sepanjang sepuluh kilometer di Desa Perjuangan dan dilanjutkan dengan penanaman kurang lebih 3000 anakan pohon bernilai ekonomi yang tidak ditebang sebagai tanda batas hidup.
Ø Menghasilkan pendapatan bagi masyarakat melalui kegiatan-kegiatan konservasi (patrol hutan, penanaman pohon) dan 315 keluarga petani kopi akan mendapatkan tambahan dari “premium lingkungan” atas penjualan ekspor kopi lestari.
Ø Kawasan hutan seluas 10.000 hektar terselamatkan dan akan dilegalisasi melalui pemberian ijin pemanfaatan hutan kemasyarakatan dari Bupati dan Menteri Kehutanan.
Ø Kebun kopi di empat desa telah diperkaya dengan penanaman lebih dari 10.000 anakan pohon dari jenis-jenis pohon bermanfaat ekonomi dan dapat melindungi tanaman kopi.
Ø Kelanjutan pendanaan untuk kegiatan konservasi di masa depan akan disediakan melalui mekanisme Debt Nature Swap - Tropical Forest Conservation Act.
2. Konservasi Kekayaan Biodiversitas di Hutan Batang Toru
Ø Usulan revisi perubahan kawasan hutan dari status hutan produksi ke status hutan lindung telah disetujui dan ditandatangani oleh Gubernur Sumatera Utara. Hal ini berarti hutan alam seluas 168.000 hektar yang meliputi tiga kabupaten telah mendapatkan peningkatan status perlindungan dan selanjutnya habitat kekayaan biodiversitas, khususnya orangutan Sumatera dan harimau Sumatera lebih terlindungi dengan lebih baik. Upaya perubahan status kawasan hutan dilakukan melalui intervensi kebijakan rencana tata ruang provinsi yang lebih memperhatikan konservasi, kesepakatan pelestarian alam desa, penguatan institusi masyarakat setempat (lembaga kerjasasama antar desa, satuan tugas pelestarian sumber daya alam desa, dan lembaga pengelolaan multi pihak).
Ø Kebun karet agroforestri seluas 600 hektar diperbaiki pengelolaannya. Sebanyak 120 petani karet telah terlibat dalam upaya ini dan lima lokasi pembibitan karet serta 25.000 anakan karet telah diproduksi
Ø Kesepakatan pelestarian alam desa telah didiskusikan, disetujui dan ditandatangani oleh masyarakat desa di lima desa.
Ø Masyarakat desa memperoleh hasil tambahan dari kegiatan konservasi seperti patrol hutan, pertemuan masyarakat, penanaman pohon.
Ø Perbaikan pengelolaan sumber daya alam desa telah member manfaat terhadap perlindungan hutan alam seluas 10,000 ha.
Ø Kelanjutan pendanaan untuk kegiatan konservasi di masa depan akan disediakan melalui mekanisme Debt Nature Swap - Tropical Forest Conservation Act.
Ø Unit pemantauan sumberdaya alam berbasis desa telah didirikan dan dilanjutkan di lima desa.
Ø Para pemangku kepentingan utama yang terkait dengan pelestarian hutan Batang Toru telah mengembangkan kelembagaan Forum Pengelolaan Kolaboratif Batang Toru dan Forum Konservasi Orangutan Sumatera.
Ø Pemerintah Kabupaten Tapanuli Selatan telah mengalokasi anggaran untuk pembangunan stasiun penelitian dan pusat ekowisata
Ø Laju deforestasi di Kwasan Hutan batang Toru telah berhasil dideteksi dan diinformasikan kepada para pihak untuk dipergunakan sebagai masukan dalam perencanaan mitigasi
Ø Proyek ini telah berhasil memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat dalam kerangka konservasi dan kelangsungan sumber penghidupan masyarakat melalui rehabilitasi skala kecil saluran irigasi, pendirian pusat informasi konservasi masyarakat, pendirian perpustakaan desa, pelatihan pertanian berkelanjutan dan penyusunan kurikulum lokal bermuatan konservasi
3. Menyelamatkan Kesatuan Ekosistim Taman Nasional Batang Gadis
Ø Kesatuan ekosistim Taman Nasional Batang Gadis seluas 108.000 hektar diselamatkan melalui demarkasi batas taman nasional sepanjang 200 kilometer secara partisipatif dan resolusi konflik pemanfaatan hutan partisipatif terhadap Suku Nias.
Ø Kelanjutan pendanaan untuk kegiatan konservasi di masa depan akan disediakan melalui mekanisme Debt Nature Swap - Tropical Forest Conservation Act.
Ø Laju deforestasi di Kwasan Hutan batang Toru telah berhasil dideteksi dan diinformasikan kepada para pihak untuk dipergunakan sebagai masukan dalam perencanaan mitigasi
Ø Populasi dan distribusi serta jenis hewan sumber pakan Harimau Sumatera s berhasil diketahui.
Ø Kawasan prioritas untuk kegiatan reforestasi telah dapat ditentukan dan rencana perbaikan kegiatan reforestasi telah dapat disusun.
Beberapa petikan hikmah pelajaran dari pelaksanaan proyek dan rekomendasi aksi konservasi untuk kegiatan konservasi kedepan juga diuraikan dalam laporan ini.
Development of human society means to bring happier, healthy and secure lives to everybody, every time and everywhere. To make development sustainable requires managing natural resources, environment and its biodiversity wisely. Biodiversity is the sum of life on earth, is our living natural heritage, our natural resources base, our biological capital in global bank. It’s important is profound and far-reaching from the inherent value of great diversity of species and their natural habitats to the invaluable role played by natural system in controlling soil erosion and flood, beautiful sceneries, storing carbon, pollinating and dispersing crops, clean and safe fresh water, clean and safe fresh air and providing food security, public health security, climate security, water security and option values security.
Sumatra Island – Indonesia is world third largest island and shares a part of one of the 12 mega-biodiversity region in the earth. Sumatra of one of Biodiversity Hotspot in the globe is defined by many scientists. But, human driven development activities are causing freshwater, air, terrestrial and its biodiversity to disappear. However, environmental problems brought by destructive and exploitative development made the rich richer and more peoples become poorer and always raise disparity within society. Furthermore, wildlife species are becoming extinct and pristine landscapes are vanishing unprecedented rate. These trends threaten severe effects for future human well-being, as ecosystems lose their capability to provide good and environmental services, which create irreplaceable economic, agricultural, public health, cultural spiritual and scientific advantages.
It’s a difficult task to maximize the efficiency or productivity of forest land use and minimize exploitation of nature and loosing biodiversity and key environmental services, if working alone. Here, integrated and collaborative efforts or comprehensive approach to conserve through GITI Tires-funded conservation project, like this Northern Sumatra Biodiversity Corridor Program has an effect.
The mayor results of the end project were this project is highly relevant and the results of collaboration and partnership are moderate sustainable because biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods answer the need of the society, and it’s consistent with the national conservation policies, and the needs of the government agencies. The implementation is considered moderately effective and efficient. Beside these, this project also moderate successfully applied joints efforts, strong collaboration and support within this project have facilitated further integration, strong networks and sharing of information, knowledge, skill and resources among key stakeholder who involved this project.
The uniqueness and innovative features are integration and collaboration. It’s based on the perception that biodiversity conservation and sustainable development many sectors of society, therefore administration efforts of a single government agency has its limit in effectiveness. Integration, sharing and collaboration of knowledge, skill resources and other facilities of several institutions in charge of natural resources management including local communities is therefore considered more effective and efficient to achieve the goals of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. While, such integration and collaboration are not easy task since every key stakeholder has different institutional restriction, paradigm, local culture, or profit orientation and survival. However, the challenges are still immense in the project end.
The strategies, approaches and methodologies of this project, our conducts, and project results and project achievement until November 2009 have been recorded and documented in this book, with a purpose of making these to be understood, be known and shared by our colleagues, sponsors, supporters, and the public audience. Indeed, this project is a success and failures stories to be share and this report. Readers are kindly requested to read through with anticipation and to look forward to what will follow.
On this note, we would like to congratulate to all stakeholder who participated in this project and have been working hardy to meet the expected result of this project. We would like to thank GITI Tires, especially Mr. Enki Tan for their financial support and Minister of Forestry, Government of Dairi District and Government of South Tapanuli and all Conservation International staffs in USA and Indonesia for their political and technical support in project implementation.
Let us and we continue to “work together towards biodiversity conservation and sustainable development”to ensure rich natural resources and a healthy ecosystem in Northern Sumatra for the future of our next generation.
Regional Vice President of
Conservation International Indonesia
Jatna Supriatna, Ph.D
1. Project Background
Sumatra is the third largest island in Indonesia Southeast Asia ’s Sundaland biodiversity hotspot, recognized as one of the 25 richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth. Together these 25 biodiversity hotspots cover only 1.4 percent of the planet, yet contain roughly 60 percent of global terrestrial species diversity. Sumatra is home to more than 10,000 plant species, mostly in lowland forests, and it is the only place in the world where elephants, rhinoceros, tigers, clouded leopards and orangutans are all still found. 16 of Sumatra ’s 210 mammal species are unique to the island, including the Sumatran orangutan, Sumatran elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros and Sumatran tiger. In addition, the endemic primate diversity per unit area in Sumatra is unmatched anywhere else on Earth. Sumatra has 465 resident bird species, of which 14 are unique to the island. Birdlife International classifies 34 Important Bird Areas on Sumatra , 54% of which are outside protected areas.
Since 2002, Conservation International Indonesia has been carrying out a conservation program in Sumatra called the Northern Sumatra Biodiversity Corridor (NSC). The NSC encompasses a mosaic of the remaining quality forested areas in the lowlands, covering approximately 4.5 million hectares and stretching a few hundred kilometers long. The NSC includes the Angkola Ecosystem, the Western Toba Watershed, the Leuser Ecosystem and the Seulawah Heritage Forest. Approximately 70% of the remaining forest in the NSC is still intact. The NSC falls within two provinces: North Sumatra and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The NSC’s most popular flagship, endangered and umbrella species include Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants, Sumatran rhinos, and Malayan tapirs.
Most Sumatran wildlife is found in lowland forests, however, national and regional unsustainable rapid economic development has caused over 60% of Sumatra 's original forests to disappear. The lowlands of Sumatra continue to decline at a fast rate, their degradation which started when commercial timber operation began to exploit the area at large-scale level in 1970. The situation became even more serious when large-scale palm oil plantations began operating in the 1980’s. Conservation International’s Sumatra-wide deforestation map from 1990 to 2005 showed an average forest decline rate of 2.5% per year, representing over 5 million hectares lost. The total forest area declined from 20.6 million ha in 1990 to 15.5 million ha in 2000. The largest forest loss by area occurred in Riau, almost 18 million ha in ten years. The lowest percentage losses in ten years were found in Aceh and North Sumatra Province Sumatra and the NSC lose the lowland forests, they are also losing the extensive ecological services and natural wealth the forests provide. Millions of Sumatrans depend on these natural resources for their livelihood and basic needs, and could be the hardest hit by a growing shortage of resources.
2. Description of Project Sites
The project site comprises of Batang Gadis National Park (BGNP), Batang Toru Forest Ecosystem (BTFE) and Dairi- South Simbuatan Forest Land (DSFL) which includes both protection and production forests. The areas are under the administration of the Government of North Sumatra Province. BGNP is comprised of 108.000 hectares located in the Mandailing Natal Regency. BTFE encompasses 148,000 hectares, and is under the administration of the Governments of South Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, Sibolga and North Tapanuli .
BTFE Toru and BGNP in Angkola Wilderness Ecosystem are two of the most important bulwarks for biodiversity conservation in the southern part of the Northern Sumatra Biodiversity Corridor. They equal the importance and nearly the size of Leuser in the north. Batang Toru hosts key populations of both the Sumatran orangutan and Sumatran tiger, while Batang Gadis is an important habitat and movement corridor for the tiger and a number of rare, smaller cat species. Both areas are extremely important watersheds and their largely intact forest biomass acts as storage for substantial quantities of carbon (see box). Conservation International’s strategy is to safeguard these regionally important forest blocks (Key Biodiversity Areas) while working to maintain and improve the biological connectivity in the landscape between them for wide-ranging species such as the Sumatran tiger and Sumatran orangutan.
The DSFL is located in Dairi Regency and Phapak Bharat Districts which cover a total of around 43,000 hectares. The forest bock is a part of Western Toba Watershed Ecosystem and situated in adjacent area of Lake Toba. It’s identification of world’s second largest lake and important to be protection for two hydro power plants (Asahan and Lae Renum). Lake Toba, as a freshwater Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and Sicikeh-cikeh and Sidiangkat as a terrestrial KBA
BOX 1:
GITI Tires consumes annually about 500-550 thousand metric tons of coal, or the equivalent of about 1 million tons of CO2 or 270,000 metric tons of Carbon, emitted into the atmosphere. The Batang Toru forest covers about 150,000 hectares and the Batang Gadis National Park covers about 110,000 hectares, together they total around 260,000 hectares of mostly intact forest. Protecting these forest areas from conversion into vegetation with lower biomass (tree plantations or agriculture) conserves about 100 tons of Carbon per hectare, or 26 million tons of Carbon in total, which is equivalent to about 100 years of carbon emissions resulting from GITI Tire coal burning. This rough calculation does not consider the carbon benefits of improving the conservation of the Lake Toba watershed forest and those benefits accrued from “growing carbon” through reforestation of community land in the buffer zones of all three forest areas and state forest areas.
2.1 Batang Toru Forest Ecosystem
Recent survey by Conservation International in 2006 and other scientific institution revealed that the BTFE and adjacent areas are home to a rich variety of the Sumatran species, particularly mammals, birds and plants, which are globally threatened. Sixty-seven species of mammals, two hundred eighty-seven of birds and one hundred ten of herpetofauna have been recorded in the area. Of this total number of mammals species, twenty species are protected under Indonesian law and twelve are globally threatened. Among these are Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelli), Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), serow (Capricornis sumatrensis), Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), slow loris (Nycticebus coucang), Golden Cat (Pardofelis marmomata). The survey also discovered rich avifauna diversity in the region, including rare as well as threatened species. Of this total number of bird species fifty-one species are protected under Indonesian law and sixty-one are globally threatened, such as Sunda Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis caerulatus), Wallace's Hawk-eagle (Spizaetus nanus), Blackcrowned (Pitta venusta). Initial data from the BTFE suggest that it holds some of the highest levels of vascular plant biodiversity, with 688 different species. Of this total number of plant species, 138 species of orangutan food resources, 8 species globally threatened, including Nepenthes sumatrana (Miq.), the largest flower in the world Rafflesia gadutensis Meijer,Becc and the tallest flower in world Amorphophalus baccari and Amorphophalus gigas (Perbatakusuma, et al, 2006).
Table 1. List of Species Identified during RAP Surveys in West Batang Toru
Class | S Species | IUCN | CITES | Sumatran Endemic Species | |||
CE | E | VU | APP. I | APP. II | |||
Mammalian | 41 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
Aves | 233 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 20 |
Amphibian | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Reptilian | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Vegetation | 414 | ||||||
Nepenthes sp. | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Note: CE (critically endangered), E (endangered), VU (vulnerable), App (most concerned).
The three districts (South Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli and North Tapanuli) have similar history, demographic, livelihood and economic characteristics. All three have large rural-based populations with population densities varying from 126/km2 in Central Tapanuli, to 69/km2 in North Tapanuli, to 54/km2 in South Tapanuli. The population is dominated by the indigenous Batak Toba, Batak Pesisir, Batak Angkola-Mandailang ethnic groups with some communities of Javanese or Nias.
Natural forest and agro-forests are the primary land cover. Elevations range from 200 m to 1500 m, with slopes of 30° to 60°. The local communities have a long history of sustainable forest resource management through a gradient of land use intensities ranging from mixed tree gardens where species composition is largely controlled by farmers and management is intermediate, to natural forests where impact from human intervention is light with small quantities of products harvested. In between are various types to agro-forests (forest farming systems) where human management favors plant species that provide useful/valuable products but management remains extension rather than intensive. Mixed tree garden and agro-forest systems are collectively referred to as upland agro-forestry systems.
Land ownership various from 1 - 2 hectares/household. Agriculture is dominated by irrigated rice production and upland agro-forestry systems, which include: (1) rubber agro-forestry (jungle rubber) systems; (2) durian agro-forestry systems; (3) rubber monoculture systems; (4) home garden systems; (5) fruit-cacao systems; (6) pinang-cacao agro-forestry systems; (7) cinnamon monoculture systems; (8) upland rice-banana-cassava-cacao systems, and (9) coffee monoculture systems. Key products of these systems include rice (Oryza sativa), rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), cacao (Theobroma cacao), coffee (Coffee arbica and C. robusta), kemenyan (Styrax benzoin), aren (Arenga pinnata), durian (Durio zibethinus), petai (Parkia speciosa), candlenut (Aleurites moluccana), salak (Salacca zalacca), and banana (Musa sp). Other fruits, medicinal crops and timber are also produced in these systems. Rice, medicinal crops and timbers are primarily produced for home use. Rubber, cacao and Kemenyan gum (Styrax benzoin) are exclusively market crops. Other crops are both consumed in the home and marketed. None of the agro-forestry systems are intensely because farmers lack access to high quality germplasm, technical support, infrastructure, and market information.
Average annual farm-based income per household in the BTFE is approximately US$650, with total annual income about US$1000/household. Common off-farm income sources include operating small shops, government service, trade of agricultural crops, and remittance. Livestock production and non-timber forest products (NTFPs), which maybe be collected from natural forests or cultivated in tree gardens or agroforests, provide secondary but important sources of income – particularly during holidays and to fill seasonal income needs or other cash flow gaps.
Initial surveys identified rubber, durian, cacao, sugar palm, and kemenyan as important sources of income in the five focal villages. At the Batang Toru level these five crops contribute greater to household farm incomes: rubber 40%; durian 18%, cacao 9%, and sugar palm 5%. In Aek Nabara and Sitandiang sugar palm is the main agricultural crop. (Across Batang Toru coffee, bettlenut (pinang), coconut, kemenyan and cinnamon are also economically importance to smallholder crops, but are only minor crops in the five focal villages. Oil palm is also an important agricultural crop in the area but not for smallholder farmers.) Subsequent activities and surveys also identified the following smallholder products as currently or potentially important: gaharu (Aquillaria sp), petai (Parkia speciosa), nilam (Pogostemon cablin), flowers (Nepenthes spp, Amorphophallus spp, and orchids), high-quality rubber seedlings, medicinal plants, mushrooms, vegetables, and goats.
However incomes from these crops are limited by a number of technical and marketing issues. Farmers practice traditional non-intensive management, lack access to technical assistance, and are not familiar with grafting techniques. Farmers lack market information and have limited market options because of poor infrastructure and their remote location. Farmers also require advance payment, which reduces their income. Agents complain that smallholder products are of uncertain quality, quantity, and reliability (yields fluctuate), that the location is remote and there is no farmer’s association to facilitate transactions.
The BTFE is part of a larger critical watershed area in North Sumatra Province. The watershed covers 148,457 hectares. Ecological functions of the BTFE (e.g., water supply, recycling nutrients, protecting soil quality, and climate regulation control), directly and indirectly significantly contribute to the macro-economic development at the three districts, especially in agriculture, which contributes to 46 – 55 percent of the Gross Domestic Products of this district in 2005. Within the BTFE itself, there are 5 important sub-watersheds, which supply water to the entire three districts, named Batang Toru Sub- Watershed, Batang Gadis Sub-Watershed, Aek Kolang Sub-Watershed, Barumun Sub-Watershed and Bila Sub-Watershed. Based on data in 2005, this watershed is extremelyvaluable, serving more than 344,520 peoples or 81,800 households in three districts upon depend on land-based agriculture sector, especially the 16 sub-districts situated in adjacent areas of the BTFE and also providing regular water supply for more than 20,566 ha of irrigation rice fields and more than 431,600 ha of the fishery area production.
Socio-economic surveys, however, revealed that the local people are generally poor relying on inadequate subsistent farming, where forest clearing has been the most visible opportunity to improve their livelihood. Assessment concluded that the forest areas in this region is indeed in need for appropriate conservation measures, but converting the areas into any form of conservation status gained serious opposition from both local villagers and local governments as they are worrying that such status will deny their access to the resources. That need to make them understand about the conservation area management is indeed necessary. The only perceptible way to get around of such opposition is to change the top-down approach and strategy of project implementation.
In general, the Conservation International study revealed that the total economic value of natural resources in Batang Toru area was estimated to be IDR3.6 billion (approximately equal to USD400 million at IDR9,000 per USD) per annum. Assuming that the interest rate is 10%, the Net Present Value is about USD4 billions. This figure was resulted from both the inseparable use and non-use values. It also found that the local economic development tended to focus merely on economic growth regardless the needs for integrating economic development into both social and ecological development, about which such integration has been globally promoted through the sustainable development principles. Based upon this study, a number of recommendation were proposed for consideration at the local levels, such as natural resource accounting, promotion of community-based economic activities, and development of a participatory sustainable development strategy.
BOX 2:
A study by Conservation International revealed that the total economic value of natural resources in Batang Toru area was estimated to be USD 400 millions. Assuming that the interest rate is 10%, the Net Present Values is about USD4 billion.
2.2. Batang Gadis National Park
The Batang Gadis National Park (BGNP) of 108.000 hectares is located in Mandailing Natal Regency,North Sumatra Province. The BGNP ecosystem is an integral part of NSC, situated at the southern end of the NSC and is an integral part of a 400,000-hectares area in the Angkola portion of the Northern Sumatra Corridor.
The government officially declared the BGNP as a National Park on 29 April 2004 following the declaration signed by local leaders, religious leaders including the head of the local government and heads of local parliament, the police, and the head of regional forestry office on 31 December, 2003 in a democratic manner. The status as a National Park provided it with legal protection under Indonesian conservation laws and allowed it to receive government funding. The declaration is significant not only for its immediate impact of establishing a legal mechanism to protect key habitats in Batang Gadis, but also because it serves as an example of a new legal framework for local governments to support the creation of a National Park.
This area is the part of the oldest geological formation in Sumatra, owing to the uniqueness of the forest structures. Geomorphologically, the two upland valleys of the Batang Gadis are so-called 'graben', i.e. depressions formed by tectonics. In ancient times, before the eruption and explosion of the Toba volcano, some 75,000 years ago, the river Batang Gadis probably flowed in a northerly direction, linking up with the river Batang Toru. In a stage intermediate between this ancient and the present situation, the Siondop plateu probably was a lake. From cultural side, local community have strong hold a ecological traditional wisdom namely “Lubuk Ikan Larangan” (forbiden sites for unsustainable use in the river) and “naborgo-naborgo” (natural scared sites), such as natural cave or natural forest.
Forty-two species of mammals have been recorded in the area. Among these are Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), serow (Capricornis sumatrensis), Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), sambar deer (Cervus unicolor), muntjac (Muntiacus muntjac), four species of primates, and four species of small cats, including clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). The survey also discovered rich avifauna diversity in the region, including rare as well as threatened species. Two hundred forty-seven bird species have been recorded in the area, a significant increase from the previous record of only 57 species. Of this total number, 47 are protected under Indonesian law and seven are globally threatened. Twelve are classified as Near Threathened and two are Data Deficient. Although survey methodology needs to be standardized, initial data from BGNP suggest that it holds some of the highest levels of vascular plant biodiversity on Earth; with 239 different plant species/100m2 (another site surveyed using the same methodology, Tesso Nilo, showed 218 plant species/100m2). Other sites surveyed using these methods, including Brazil, Cameroon, New Guinea, and Peru, show significantly lower levels of vascular plant biodiversity. The BGNP survey also found Dipterocarp species above 1000 meter above sea level. In other words, the biodiversity loss of the BGNP Ecosystem will mean the extinction of these species and probably many others along with them.
The BGNP is part of a larger critical watershed area (with the size of 386,455 ha or about 58.8% of total district) that serves the whole Mandailing-Natal district. Some another examples of these functions are: the regular supply of fresh water, erosion and flood control, germ-plasm protection, local climate regulation, carbon sequestration, fresh water fisheries, and natural beauty (supporting eco tourism) Ecological functions of the Batang Gadis ecosystem (e.g., water supply, recycling nutrients, protecting soil quality, climate regulation control) also directly and indirectly significantly contribute to the macro-economic development at the district level especially in agriculture (which contributes to 35 percent of the Gross Domestic Products of this district), fishery and tourism sectors.
This watershed is extremely valuable, serving more than 360,000 people and more than 34,500 ha of rice paddies and 43,000 ha of coffee and rubber plantation. A recent study conducted by CI-I revealed the economic values of watershed services in supplying water for domestic consumptions is IDR7 billion per year or the NPV of IDR.63 billion over 25 years at discount rate of 10%. This number could possibly be higher since the quantity of water for household consumption in Madina district is predicted to be more than the official government figures. The water value for agriculture is IDR.2.6 billion per year or the NPV is IDR.23.3 billion over 25 years at discount rate of 10%. This number is possibly higher since this study only focused on irrigated paddy fields. The water value for fishery is IDR.10 billion per year or the NPV is IDR. 97.4 billion over 25 years at 10% discount rate. It was also estimated that indirect value of watershed services in the form of preventing floods, landslides, and erosion is IDR.24.8 billion per year or the NPV is IDR. 225 billion over 25 years at 10% discount rate. However, this value is considerably lower since this was generated from the physical damage costs regardless the loss of ecological functions. In addition, the Batang Gadis forests are a significant carbon sink. Temporary result produced by CI-I estimated that carbon deposits in various types of land uses in the BGNP is amounting to 21,877,400 tons. With carbon price per ton of US$ 10, the carbon value would be IDR 2,01 trillion per year or the NPV of IDR 18.2 trillion for 25 years with 10% discount rate.
Local communities have long depended on the Batang Gadis forests for timber and a wide range of non-timber products (NTFPs) for their subsistence and livelihood needs. NTFPs of marketable value include cinnamon, rattan, and bush meat. Community needs will have to be adequately addressed to support our conservation goals. The temporary results of NTFP calculation conducted by CI-I recently showed that the BGNP economically contributed approximately IDR.198 billion per year or the NPV is IDR1.8 trillion over 25 years at 10% discount rate. We predicted tourism would become the main the main source of regional income in the near future.
As quite common in other National Parks in Indonesia, the park’s threats can be categorized as indirect threat, internal direct threat and external direct threat. Indirect threat identified in the form of weakening of straightening of rule of law by central government fighting against illegal logging and timber trade and illegal wildlife hunting and trade, forest encroachment, limited development options and alternative sustainable economic development to local society and local government, inadequate public control and community participation in policy formulation and implementation in BGNP and lack of condition of good environmental governance.
The indirect threats brings toward in to an internal direct threat that is threat coming from local society, illegal logging, forest clearing for the agriculture crop intensification (rubber, coffee, cinamomum) and inhabitant settlement in park adjacent areas and enclave, uncontrolled and irresponsible exploiting of timber forest and wildlife resources. While external direct threat are usually conducted by migrant or outsider community, e.g. Nias Tribe i.e. open forest for the settlement, land speculation and subsistence agriculture and commercial crops expansion in park adjacent areas and inside the park, illegal timber trade, illegal wildlife hunting and illegal wildlife trade.
2.3 Dairi – South Simbuatan- Puncak Sidiangkat Forest Land
The forest bock is a part of the Western Toba Watershed Ecosystem and situated in adjacent area of Lake Toba. Lake Toba is world’s second largest lake and important to be protection for two hydro power plants (Asahan and Lae Renum). Lake Toba is as a freshwater Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and Sicikeh-cikeh and Puncak Sidiangkat as a terrestrial KBA. The significance of conserving the remaining areas of protection forest, production forest, nature reserve and its watershed from coffee-based agricultural expansion has also increased.
A part of West Toba that is adjacent to Lake Toba is a part of a larger ecosystem which is known as the Lake Toba Ecosystem. The Lake Toba Ecosystem refers to a 369,854 hectare water catchments area surrounding the lake. It covers the lake itself, the Samosir Island, and a 190,312 ha of land area around the lake. The main function of this particular zone is to provide water supply for the lake and rivers that have the lake as their source.
The Renun is one of the large rivers that flow through the West Toba area. The water sources of Renun River come from many small rivers in Dairi – South Simbuatan Forest Block. A 293,239 ha of land area forms the Renun Drainage Basin. The drainage basin comprises of forests (36%), scrubs (15%), critical land (30%), and the rest are agricultural and population area. The land area surrounding Lake Toba
The steeper a land is the less capability it has to hold water and sediments. It also faces a larger threat of erosion compared to a less steep land. Looking at only the degree of steepness of the Lake Toba
The results avifauna survey from the CI’s survey in Dairi – South Simbuatan Forest Block in 2006 indicated similar results from various studies on other places but no species richness similarity was revealed from the present survey. From several comparative studies to assess the coffee plantation as refugee and or buffer zone for birds revealed that the coffee garden had similar species richness with the natural forest (. Coffee gardens created a new avifaunal pool, new species composition and sometimes even higher species richness). However, the similarity indices across different habitat types (from forest to agroforestry system, e.g. coffee) were very low which indicated different species composition between these habitat types). In other words, coffee gardens could not accommodate forest specialist birds.
In total 82 bird species recorded during the survey in Sileu –leu Parsaoran and Barisan Nauli Villages, including two Sumatran endemic birds; Blue-masked Leaf bird Chloropsis venusta and Sumatran Treepie Dendrocitta occipitalis. Beside that we also recorded 17 species of Sundaic lowland biome and 9 species of Sundaic montane biome. By habitat, forest had the most number of species followed by shrub and coffee (see Table 1).
Table1. Species richness in each habitat type
Habitat type | Total number of species |
Shrub | 39 |
Forest | 52 |
Coffee | 30 |
In Toba Lake also founded fourteen fish species, including endemic species “ikan batak” or “ikan ihan” (Neolissochillus thienemanni). This species categorized endangered species based on IUCN Red List.
Looking specifically at the Lake Toba Ecosystem Basin Renun River Basin Lake Toba and the Renun River
The Lake Toba Lake Toba Renun River catchments area were effectively reforested, it would probably deliver less water to the river and to Lake Toba
Other than deforestation issue, water use has also been a problem. The most notified is the decreasing flow of water on the Renun River alongside the decreasing water surface of the Lake Toba. There have been concerns that if this keeps going, there wouldn’t be enough water to spin the turbine of the 82 Mega Watt Hydro Power Plant of Lae Renun
A state-owned Dairi Forest block which a total cover area 22.000 hectares are being logged, destroyed and burned, and species driven towards extinction for the long time-. This forest is estimated has been converted to multipurpose areas which cover area 15,000 hectares, such as resettlement, agriculture, infrastructure development and between it 2200 hectares exploited for Arabica coffee garden. This case is caused coffee farmer need fertile land for agricultural purpose and local people lack alternatives to increase their income earning. In addition, lack of law enforcement and lack of land use planning from government side. Forest function change to agricultural land causes acute, serious and endless land use problems and increasing enterprise uncertainty for coffee farmer on a long term. Besides that, the destructive causes decreasing environmental service quality, such as water supply, micro climate and biodiversity
The conservation coffee project sites are located mostly on forest areas. Tanjung Beringin, Perjuangan, Barisan Nauli, Pagambiran and Parsaroan Villages lie on a production forest. This would mean that there has to be a conversion of land use from protection forest to coffee plantation. It is generally believed that this kind of conversion will have negative impacts, especially on watershed function. On one hand, it is true that forest conversion will reduce its capability of holding water underneath it, but on the other hand, a coffee plantation, although have less capacity to hold water, will have more capacity to flow water to river stream. Considering the high rainfall in this area, a coffee plantation might be a good thing in providing more water flow, in this case, to the Renun River and the Lake Toba. According to a study in Sumberjaya District, Lampung province, after 10 to 15 years, the coffee plantation managed to increase its water holding capability while keeping a steady water flow to the adjacent river by starting a shade ground agro-forestry coffee plantation. That is planting economic multipurpose trees that produce fruits or non timber forest product with high economic value.
3. Project Goals AND Outcomes
The project goal is strengthening biodiversity conservation in the Northern Sumatra Corridor through forest conservation and community based reforestation. The project outcomes are following:
a) Improve the conservation of protection forest in the Lake Toba Watershed.
b) Stop agricultural encroachment into the West Batang Toru forest of South Tapanuli
c) Continue and expand the forest cover and biological monitoring of West Batang Toru and build conservation awareness in West Batang Toru with a focus on orangutan and tiger species.
d) Secure the integrity of Batang Gadis National Park
e) Intensify surveys of conservation status and conservation awareness building for tiger species in Batang Gadis.
4. SUMMARY OF PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENT
Most of the project activities and outputs have been accomplishment and unscheduled. Some of the project activities and outputs are not reached and rescheduled. But, overall accomplishment of the project activities is moderate satisfactory.
5. PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
5.1 Protection Forest in the Lake Toba Watershed ECOSYSTEM
Protecting biodiversity and key ecosystem services in Dairi- South Simbuatan Forest Block where poor coffee farmer live underlines the need for designing conservation mechanisms that provide development opportunities to local populations. Coffee farmers will choose to protect key biodiversity areas and ecosystem service, if conservation benefits them in concrete ways.
In relation to bridging conservation and economic development in micro level, this project use a conservation agreement approaches, Resource users, particularly coffee farmer choose conservation in exchange for benefits that compensate for foregone income from this choice. These benefits are provided conditional on meeting conservation goals,, all of coffee farmer jointly defined through a participative process. Conservation agreement is applied by build stewardship, fair and transparent, adaptable, positive human impact, concrete conservation results, equitable and flexibility allows for replication.
In relation to bridging conservation and economic development in micro level, this project use a conservation agreement approaches, Resource users, particularly coffee farmer choose conservation in exchange for benefits that compensate for foregone income from this choice. These benefits are provided conditional on meeting conservation goals,, all of coffee farmer jointly defined through a participative process. Conservation agreement is applied by build stewardship, fair and transparent, adaptable, positive human impact, concrete conservation results, equitable and flexibility allows for replication.
In order to improve conservation of the remaining forest land in the Lake Toba Watershed Ecosystem and Key Biodiversity Areas, Conservation International was conducted conservation effort in these areas as follow:
a. Implement participatory demarcation of natural forest boundary with involvement of local government and adjacent communities
b. Continue support to adjacent coffee farmer communities in exchange for respecting forest boundaries in production forest through provide forest permit right to get legal and secure forest land access for coffee agro-forestry
c. Carry out farmer training courses in coffee agro-forestry and quality improvement for biodiversity and carbon friendly coffee ( palm civet coffee)
d. Register the project under Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. Practices system and export coffee to Starbucks and/or other specialty company
The final project achievement is described below.
Conservation International conducted a multi-stakeholder workshop for regional coffee farmers on how to successfully develop conservation coffee through agro-forestry scheme, grow organic coffee, responsible and fair trade, and sustainable use of the remaining forest. This workshop was held in Sidikalang, with around 200 participants from 21 village representatives. As a result, the first conservation agreement launched. Conservation Coffee Farmer Declaration was signed and both the Dairi Conservation Coffee Farmer Forum Association and the “Baperda Organik” Farmer Cooperative Institution were established and the future strategy for conservation coffee and saving the remaining natural forest in Dairi – South Simbuatan Forest Block.
The coffee farmer of Perjuangan Village, Barisan Nauli, Pagambiran Sileu-leu Parsaoran announced and signed second conservation agreement. This agreement signed by head of village, chairman of village people representatives and chairman of farmer group which approximately supported by 475 household (1600 peoples) in Pagambiran Village, and 340 household (1900 peoples) in Sileu-leu Parsaoran Village, while in Barisan Nauli Village supported by 24 members of farmer group. This agreement called a community-based conservation and conservation coffee agreement. These agreements provide to conserve the remaining state-owned forest through four main initiatives:
· Promoting organically coffee agro-forestry.
· Promoting responsible and fair coffee trading
· Conducting participatory community mapping and participatory forest boundary marking
· Using the resulting maps to obtain a community forest use permit rights from Head of Regency and Minister of Forestry.
After conservation agreement agreed by coffee farmer, trainings through Farmer Field School and conservation coffee demonstration plots methods was conducted. Training emphasized on planting and growing organically coffee in the shaded areas of multipurpose trees, pruning, improving coffee post harvest. Conservation coffee demonstration plot started for four villages in Sumbul Sub-district with total member 90 farmers. A nursery for coffee, shaded trees and live tree forest marker was established. Participatory forest border marking and planting live forest boundary marker was carried out along border of the remaining natural forest and coffee garden.
These agreements also help to resolve an acute conflict over forest land use in the Dairi District. The Dairi Conservation Coffee Farmer Forum Association has been pushing to get a community forest use permit rights from the Ministry of Forestry and the Head of the District, and with this agreement that seems likely. The community forest proposal is a win – win solution to meeting conservation and sustainable economic development goals at micro landscape. In addition, a tree nursery was built by the community and multipurpose trees produced by the nursery will be planted to create a live forest boundary along remaining natural forest border and coffee garden as a shaded tress
Facilitating work on conservation coffee development also include to develop conservation organically certified coffee market and trade. A Two assessor from Control Union Certification (CU) have been carried out C.A.F.E (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices field evaluation. Coffee production chain, including 315 coffee garden areas in Sumbul Sub-district and Olivia Christy - owned coffee warehouse was inspected by CU in early November. The CAFE PRACTICES certified-coffee shipment will planned on January an or February 2010.
In mid October, community forestry coordinating planning workshop was executed in Sidikalang. This workshop attended by 53 participants, including representating from Dairi Regency Forestry Office and Wampu – Sei Ular River Management Agency – Departement of Forestry. The workshop result, that need to enforce establishing verification team from local government to verification of community forest permit use right proposal submitted by Dairi Conservation Coffee Farmer Forum Association. The association will propose for a second time of proposal with more support from member of association from coffee farmer in seven villages. A community forestry scheme officially proposal which total area 10.000 hectares was submitted by Dairi Conservation Coffee Forum Association to Minister of Forestry and Head of Dairi District. This conservation effort is develop carbon friendly and conservation coffee in stated forest land through community forestry and coffee agro-forestry scheme to resolve forest land use conflicts and coffee farmer land insecurity. Without this effort, coffee quality in those areas still in low quality, because farmers till insecure in their land to develop coffee farming practices.
A Memorandum of Understanding between Conservation International and the Government of Dairi was negotiated and resulted in the creation of a document presenting supportive policies to maintain coffee-based land tenure and support conflict resolution in the protection and production forests, as well as to improve management of key environmental services, key biodiversity areas and the development of conservation coffee production.
HIGH LIGHT OF PROJECT RESULTS
Ø Protection of the remaining of Dairi Forest Block which a total cover area 6.000 hectares.
Ø Coffee farmer in four villages have begun to implementing sustainable coffee production practices through planting shade trees in coffee garden and reduces and stops artificial chemical pesticide usage.
Ø Community-based conservation and conservation coffee agreement discussed, agreed, supported and signed by local community in four villages.
Ø Two cases illegal logging stopped by Dairi Conservation Coffee Forum.
Ø Delineation and remarking natural forest – coffee garden in three villages in adjacent area of natural forest block through establishing a cement ‘No Forest Encroachment “ warning marker and planting a live boundary multipurpose tress.
Ø Generation of additional income from conservation activities (forest patrolling, planting tress) and 315 coffee farmers will get environmental premium from conservation coffee trading benefits.
Ø 10.000 hectares of forest land secured and will legalized for coffee agro-forestry through giving a community forestry permit use right to poor coffee farmer.
Ø Coffee garden in four villages enriched and rehabilitated with planting more than 10.000 seedlings of various multi-purpose tree species.
Ø Sustainable funding for future conservation efforts in Dairi – South Simbuatan Forest Block established and provided through Tropical Forest Conservation Act instrument.
5.2 CONSERVING BIODIVERISTY-RICH Batang Toru Forest Range
The Batang Toru Forest Ecosystem (BTFE) is a key Sumatran Orangutan. The forest block consisted two forest block is called west and east Batang Toru or Sarulla Forest Range. This landscape are predicted to have suitable habitat for orangutans in the last southern part population of Sumatra Island.
Orangutan landscape in Batang Toru Forest also contributes to mitigation climate change. Based CI’s research on the ground survey, the sum of biomass in trees (DBH ≥ 2 cm), ground vegetation, and necromass, revealed the averages of carbon content from secondary forest as 77.72 ton C/ha. This is equivalent to 280,2 CO2 ton per-hectare.Primary forest in Batang Toru obtains _305,73 ton C per-hectare, equivalent to 101,3 ton CO2 per-hectares. According to the imagery classification process, Batang Toru area has secondary forest 20,747.26 hectares. This means, that Batang Toru Forest Block has stored 1,612,477 ton Carbon or 5,813,382 tons equivalent CO2. The imagery process also determined that Batang Toru area has 135,476.090 hectares in primary forest, creating a carbon content in primary forest in the Batang Toru Forest of 4,149,105 ton Carbon and or 137,006,970 ton equivalent CO2. Assuming that average deforestation in BTFE from 1990-2007 totaled about 142 ha per year. Assuming that the driving factors of deforestation are linear and no conservation incentives occur to avoid deforestation, the Batang Toru Forest area will lose an estimated 700 - 1600 hectares of forest cover by 2015. This is equivalent with 707,910–1,618,080 ton CO2 and will contribute significantly to increasing global climate change (Perbatakusuma, et al 2008).
Protecting the remaining orangutan population thus has been the top priority at the global and national levels. In the national context, Orangutan conservation has been clearly addressed in the Minister of Forestry Regulation No. P53/Menhut-IV/2007 concerning Indonesia Orangutan Conservation Strategy and Action Plan.
The responsibility of local governments has been as well as explicitly addressed in the Indonesia Act No. 12/2008 and Government Regulation No. 38/2007, stating that the local government is obligated to converse the natural resources, including the biodiversity and its ecosystem, while business actors should incorporate the same obligation in the good corporate governance scheme that demands business sectors to be involved in conserving nature through their corporate social responsibility mechanism.
Threats on Batang Toru forest were determined using a GIS analysis which resulted in a prognostic map of future orangutan habitat loss patterns in Batang Toru and surrounding areas. This analysis could help identify the relative vulnerability of different habitats to degradation and human activity. A total of 6.34 km2 of forest was cleared in Batang Toru area is equivalent to an average deforestation rate of 0.05% per year during 1990-2000.
The analysis indicated that most of all forests in the West Batang Toru area are facing high deforestation threat, so the orangutan population in this area has been under high pressure as well. In addition, since the area is surrounded by provincial and regency level roads, new settlements are continued to appear upward penetrating the forest, making the prediction very possible to occur in the near future. Disturbance to orangutan habitat made by human in the area, through forest conversion to agriculture and plantation areas, either legal or illegal, logging and gold mining activities, has occurred as well. Forest conversion into agricultural purposes is identified to be the main cause of the decrease of orangutan natural habitat in West Batang Toru forest. Moreover, human population pressures (Nias community in Uluala) in some parts of the forest, road construction (connecting Aek Nabara to Sipirok) contributed the damaged of the forest and eventually become the real threats for the existence of orangutan in West Batang Toru forest. Nests, indicated the orangutan presence, and were found in secondary forests bordered with human plantation. Nest and direct sighting were mostly found within the forest area with a good vegetation condition, although some part of the area are fragmented and converted into small holder plantation.
In relation to get better conservation of the BTFE, Conservation International was carrying out conservation endeavor in these areas are following:
a. Halt forest encroachment into the BTFE through policy negotiate, spatial planning intervention, conservation-minded local institutional development, develop collaborative management plan and develop sustainable financing.
b. Develop and promote sustainable livelihood options for with focus on rubber and other tree crops through support sustainable land use activities and provide piped water supply
c. Forest cover and biological monitoring and conservation awareness through continue participatory tiger monitoring, create an orangutan information center, carry out a forest cover and deforestation mapping and define an action plan for the long-term conservation.
Here described ultimate project achievement orangutan conservation effort in BTFE project sites according as follows
5.2.1. Forest Cover Change Detection and Biological Monitoring
There are two key elements to conserving forest, wildlife populations and their habitats are: (1) having accurate and up-to-date information on current forest conditions and threats, key wildlife species distribution and its habitat requirements and (2) having support for and capacity within local stakeholders to use this information to formulate and apply an appropriate conservation interventions to halt forest encroachment and deforestation.
Loss of natural habitat, habitat fragmentation and poaching are the most significant factors contributing to the reduction of wildlife populations in the BTFE, especially Sumatran orangutan. Investigation in orangutan hunting and poaching has not obtained any direct evidence of such activities, even though some people claimed, that they poached the orangutans for meat. Root causes of key threats were analyzed to prepare a threat reduction plan. CI has conducted a thorough threats analysis for the BTFE and engaged decision makers in the three district governments covering the BTFE, local NGOS, and affected communities in a participatory process to develop a plan to manage threats. This activity also built the capacity of local government to carry out these kinds of analytical and planning activities.
Forest cover monitoring for the Batang Toru forest block was conducted and a deforestation map was produced by Conservation International. The primary and secondary forest classifications were referenced from a mosaic of Spot 4 imagery acquired in 2006. A remote sensing analysis was performed using ASTERR (Advanced Space-borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) imagery, at a resolution of 15 meters, which was then compared to a Land-sat 5 baseline of forest cover from the year 2000 to assure the most precise data on forest land cover changes. In the Batang Toru area, from 2000 to 2007 the forest recorded a loss of 1,382 Ha from a total area of 168,881 Ha, or greater than 0.1% per-year. Meanwhile, from 1990 to 2000, Batang Toru lost 880 Ha, at a rate of 88 Ha per year. The rate of forest loss increased to 197 Ha per year from 2000 to 2007.
The project conducted a two hour over-flight by helicopter to monitor forest cover and document the status of forests using aerial photographs. This flight aimed to obtain visual data on the primary and secondary forests. The over-flight enabled the project team to observe the points of interest and focus area in order to define both classes of primary and secondary forests, as well as prove the current status of illegal logging, illegal forest conversion and another deforestation drivers inside and remote areas in Batang Toru Forest Block. The flight was directed to observe both sides of West and East Batang Toru, Sipansihaporas Hydro Power Plant, Pahae Valley and Siondop areas. See Map 1
BOX 3:
The project conducted a two hour over-flight by helicopter to monitor forest cover and document the status of forests using aerial photographs. This flight aimed to obtain visual data on the primary and secondary forests. The over-flight enabled the project team to observe the points of interest and focus area in order to define both classes of primary and secondary forests, as well as prove the current status of illegal logging, illegal forest conversion and another deforestation drivers inside and remote areas in Batang Toru Forest Block. The flight was directed to observe both sides of West and East Batang Toru, Sipansihaporas Hydro Power Plant, Pahae Valley and Siondop areas. See Map 1
BOX 3:
In the Batang Toru area, from 2000 to 2007 the forest recorded a loss of 1,382 Ha from a total area of 168,881 Ha, or greater than 0.1% per-year. Meanwhile, from 1990 to 2000, Batang Toru lost 880 Ha, at a rate of 88 Ha per year. The rate of forest loss increased to 197 Ha per year from 2000 to 2007.
Forest clearing recorded at 699 sites, totaling 882 hectares, were detected within the Batang Toru key biodiversity area from 2003 through 2007. Of these, 532 clearings encompassed less than one hectare, 148 were between one and ten hectares, 12 covered between 10 and 100 hectares, and one clearing measured 138 hectares. The clearings of 1 to 10 ha accounted for 391 ha of deforestation, while clearings of less than 1 ha and 10 to 100 ha accounted for similar amount (about 180 ha) of deforestation (Graph 1). With the exception of scattered clearings in the northeast section of Batang Toru, in North Tapanuli, most clearings occurred within three kilometers of the project site boundary.
MAP 1. Map of aerial forest cover mnitoring result
The majority of the scattered clearings in Central Tapanuli are from 2007. There are a few clearings from 2004 and 2005 near the forest edge in Central Tapanuli, and in 2004 a pre existing logging road network entering the forest block in Central Tapanuli shows a few extensions. There are clearings from all five years along the southwestern forest edge in South Tapanuli, with the largest clearings from 2007. There are a few additional clearings along the eastern forest edge further north in South Tapanuli from 2005 and 2006 .
The drivers of deforestation were subsistence agriculture expansion, small holder plantation, gold mining exploitation, illegal logging, unsustainable timber exploitation, hydro power plant construction, road infrastructure development, human settlement expansion and natural factors (land slide, earthquake).
GIS analysis indicated that most of all forests in the West Batang Toru area were facing high deforestation threat, so that the orangutan population in this area has been as well under high pressure. The GIS analysis also described has produced the likelihood of deforestation that threatening the forest ecosystem and its biodiversity including Sumatran orangutan and Sumatran tiger population. In addition, this prediction can occur in the future since the area is surrounded by provincial and regency level roads, new settlements are continued to appear upward penetrating the forest.
Disturbance to wildlife habitat made by human in the area through forest conversion to agriculture and plantation areas, either legal or illegal and logging and mining activities have occurred as well. Therefore, monitoring forest conversion to agricultural land and modeling future threats for the network of protected areas are very important to the maintenance of the orangutan populations. This information were shared with district government officials and communities close to areas of high deforestation as part of a long-term effort to build their capacity to use this information as they adapt and refine their conservation activities.
Map 2. . Deforestation likelihood map Note : Result of MCE produces map of continuous values ranging from 0-255, with 255 (highest values) representing the highest likelihood of deforestation.
The deforestation and degradation habitat impacts are indicated by spatial distribution of key wildlife species, especially Sumatran orangutan. The impacts were discovered by biological monitoring of key wildlife species in BTFE, especially Sumatran orangutan and Sumatran tiger.
A population and habitat survey of Sumatran orangutan at BTFE was conducted over a period of 10 month. Through three extensive and broad surveys in 16 locations with total 40.6 km transect length (varies between 750-1,500 meter above sea l evel), also regular monthly monitoring in existing
BTFE Year 2003-2007.
transects in five model sites (Lobu Pining, Sibulan-bulan,Sipetang, Sitandiang and Uluala Areas) throughout three regencies, it was estimated that the orangutan density was between 0.2-0.82 individual/km2 distributed in a l andscape unit of 74.886 ha, which is known as a potential orangutan habitat over the total area of 90,000 hectares. Survey result showed population densities were found to be higher in the old, moist secondary forest (0,82 individuals/km2) compared to those in the mixed forest (0.26 individuals/km2). Habitat disturbance caused by forest conversion is believed to reduce the orangutan density within mixed and lowland forests. Habitat disturbance caused by land conversion seemed to affect the orangutan density within mixed and lowland forests in BTFE is lower in comparison with the other forest area in Northern Sumatera, for instance in Aceh with density > 6 individuals/km2. The orangutan distribution pattern is highly affected by food resources availability, altitude, river shed and human economic activities in the habitat of orangutan.
If each survey site is categorized according to forest type (Table 1), the highest density value (0,82 individual/km2) was found in the hill forest category at elevations of 900 to 1200 m, and the lowest density (0.26 individual/km2) was found in mixed forest. Orangutan densities tend to increase in relation to the increase of elevation. The entire orangutan population in Batang Toru watershed forest was predicted by extrapolation from LANDSAT TM Images of 2001 for each forest type. From 90.000 ha of Western Batang Toru watershed forest area, around 74.886 ha are estimated as potential orangutan habitat. The result shown that, the number of orangutans in the western BTFE is about 380 individuals.
Table 3. Forest type and density of orangutans (DOH) used in Batang Toru population estimate based on result of survey and monitoring
L (km) | Σ nest | t (days) | DOH (ind/km2) | Dlcl-Ducl | |
Lowland (100-400 m) | 3.3 | 21 | 206.1 | 0.47 | 0.16-0.51 |
Mixed (400-700 m) | 6.0 | 23 | 215.8 | 0.26 | 0.20-0.72 |
(700-900 m) | 20.2 | 139 | 188.7 | 0.60 | 0.47-0.72 |
11.1 | 103 | 187.4 | 0.82 | 0.64-1.03 |
Note: Lower and upper 95 % confidence limits indicated by “lcl” and “ucl”
L=transect length, t=total days, DOH=orangutan density
Table 4. Orangutan population estimates for each forest type in BTFE based on result of survey and monitoring.
Total area (km2) | % of total area | Density estimate (ind/km2) | Population estimate | |
Lowland (100-400 m) | 184.81 | 24.68 | 0.47 | 94 |
Mixed (400-700 m) | 213.37 | 28.50 | 0.26 | 55 |
(700-900 m) | 247.06 | 32.99 | 0.60 | 146 |
103.62 | 13.83 | 0.82 | 85 |
Forest conversion into agricultural purposes is identified to be the main cause of the decrease of orangutan natural habitat in Western Batang Toru forest. Moreover, human population pressures (Nias community in Uluala) in some parts of the forest, road construction (connecting Aek Nabara to Sipirok) contributed the damaged of the forest and eventually become the real threats for the existence of orangutan in West Batang Toru forest. Nests, indicated the orangutan presence, and were found in secondary forests bordered with human plantation. Nest and direct sighting were mostly found within the forest area with a good vegetation condition, although some part of the area are fragmented and converted into plantation.
Habitat destruction is main threats decline of orangutan population in BTFE. Orangutans are relatively adaptive species. After all, they have survived several million years of climate change, disease, and predations in their South-East Asian habitat. However, if orangutan habitat is destroyed, they will die. Despite recent claims that orangutans can survive in oil palm or Acacia plantations, such survival is unlikely to be long-lived as the resource basis for breeding is lacking. Estimates vary between Borneo and Sumatra, but orangutan needs about 25-100 hectares of rainforest per individual. This rainforest needs to be relatively intact, but it does not necessarily need to be pristine. Recent population viability assessments estimated that a population of 250 individuals is likely to survive in the long-term—providing that they are not hunted and their forest habitat is protected. Orangutan therefore needs a minimum of between 6,500 and 25,000 hectares of forests to support a viable breeding population. The larger these forest areas, the greater the likelihood that orangutans will survive the impacts of hunting, disease, climatic change and other negative factors.
Because of this precipitous decline, without effective and immediate intervention, the species could become functionally extinct within the next ten years. And, because orangutans are “keystone” species for conservation as they play an important part in forest regeneration through the fruits they eat and seed them disperse – their disappearance could also lead to the loss of many other species of plants and animals within that ecosystem.
BOX 4:
Orangutans are “keystone” species for conservation as they play an important part in forest regeneration through the fruits they eat and seeds they disperse.
Existence of pristine forest and tree species are a crucial orangutan habitat requirement, where they built nest, place for social interaction and fruit-based food sources, also they spent more than 50% of their activities up in trees. This condition indicates that the rates of land conversion (natural forest to non-forest area) are significantly high, and yet population of orangutan can still be found. Orangutan research during this period has shown that the orangutan existence (nest finding and direct sighting) usually in the elevation above 900 m. This result was slightly different from which indicated the distribution of orangutan usually occurs in lowland forest. Furthermore, there are more individual orangutan found in Southern part of the BTFE, supported by the qualitative observation, that shown more food availabilities than in central and northern part of the BTFE area.
Conservation International is installed five camera traps in the Sibuali-buali Nature Reserve, in the South Tapanuli District to monitor of existence of terrestrial species. This camera successful taken 19 photographs of animal species, including endagered wildlife species such as Malayan Sunbear, Asian Tapir, Sumatran tiger, Porcupine. For long term survival of Sumatran tiger need animal tiger prey are detected successfuly. Table 5 described list of endagered animal species taken by camera traps. Until the time this report was written, no tigers were captured by the camera traps in BTFE.
Map 4. Survey and Monitoring Results of Orangutan Population
Scientific Name | Common Name | IUCN Status | CITES Status | Indonesia Law Protected status |
Macaca nemestrina | Pig tail macaca | VU | App II | |
Tapirus indicus | Malayan tapir | VU | App I | Protected |
Muntiacus muntjak | Common barking deer | Protected Protected | ||
Neofelis nebulosa | Clouded leopard | VU | App I | Protected |
Hystrix brachyura | Common Porcupine | VU | Protected | |
Tragulus napu | Greater mouse deer | Protected | ||
Argusianus argus | Great argus | Protected | ||
Cervus unicolor | Sambar deer | Protected | ||
Arctitis binturong | Binturong | Protected | ||
Herlarctos malayanus | Sun bear | DD | App I | Protected |
Martes flavigula | Yellow-throated Marten | EN | ||
Naemorhedus sumatraensis | Mountain goat | EN | App I | Protected |
Catopuma temminckii | Golden cat | LR | App I | Protected |
Note: CE (critically endangered), E (endangered), VU (vulnerable), App (most concerned).
Table 5. List of endagered animal species taken by camera traps in BTFE
5.2.2 Stop Forest Encroachment and Deforestation
5.2.2.1 Multi-layer Policy Intervention for A Suitable Forest Protection
Based on forest habitat and biological monitoring results are discovered complexities and policy constraints for future conserving the BTFE. It is need multi-layer policy intervention to reform on land use planning policies at landscape scale from local to regional level. Reviews on the government’s policies through series of workshops, and regular consultations with local government, local community, local NGOs and business sectors have identified a discrepancy between the need for BTFE conservation and that of economic development. One important proposition was the requirement to replenish the government’s policies on the management of natural forests in BTFE. Another proposition was the necessity to develop priority strategies for the protection of natural forests in the Batang Toru watershed area that function as the life supporting system, as well as orangutan habitat.
Policy replenishment should prioritize reviews on forest land management in the BTFE, where a number of aspects should be taken into account. One important aspect has been the status and function of forested areas. Ideally, there should be a cohesive commitment to transform the existing forest functions into ‘protected areas’ where logging concession areas, limited production forest areas, and nature reserves in the areas are combined into a ‘national park’ an or other protection management status for the fact that those areas are orangutan’s habitat and biodiversity and environmental services significance. However, a status of national park might not be the only choice; other options need indeed to be explored.
Once all stakeholders in the areas could agree on the need to manage BTFE sustainably, which the areas the importance of wildlife conservation (e.g. Sumatran orangutan and Sumatran tiger), environmental services protection and develop biodiversity-sensitive regional spatial planning from production forest status to protection areas. A feasible option would be to develop a multi stakeholder management body that accommodates all districts’ objectives in achieving the regional sustainable development and nature conservation.
An integrated multi stakeholder management body is needed to consider the needs to deal with forest functions as the source of energy (via water supply for both hydro-electricity and geothermal powers), the main source of water supply for daily local livelihood (via sustainable agriculture development), the agents for soil fertility maintenance and climatic equilibrium.
BOX 3:
Once all key stakeholders in the areas could agree on the need to manage forests sustainably, which the areas the importance of wildlife conservation (e.g. orangutan and tiger), environmental service protection and develop biodiversity-sensitive regional spatial planning from production forest status to protection areas. A feasible option would be to develop a multi stakeholder management body that accommodates all districts’ objectives in achieving the regional sustainable development and nature conservation in the BTFE.
Then, we have worked with key stakeholders, such as local non government organization, local government, community based organization and private sector at local level to build the multi stake holder conservation program, including fostering efforts to establish new conservation areas in production forest for more suitable forest protection (grand forest park, protection forest), including building the capacity to manage them effectively; facilitating multi stakeholder efforts to establish participatory conservation sensitive regional spatial planning processes at district and provincial level, assisting to establish multi-stakeholder collaborative management institution and multi-stakeholder legitimate conservation action plan, assist local government to establish research center and ecotourism center and facilitating alternative sustainable financial mechanism for long-term orangutan conservation in Batang Toru Forest.
Several project milestones have been recorded in the attempt to stop forest encroachment and deforestation into the Batang Toru Forest in South Tapanuli. On December 11, 2008, the North Tapanuli District and Conservation International signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning conservation and sustainable use of Key Biodiversity Areas in South Tapanuli (Batang Toru Forest and Siondop-Angkola Peat Swamp Forest).
The South Tapanuli Government agreed to release a local decree to conserve the forest through forest status jurisdiction and to change the Grand Forest Park status to conservation area. Conservation International also provides technical support to get all information needed and developed proposal for the Head of South Tapanuli District. The proposal is to change the production forest to conservation area with the legal status of Grand Forest Park (TAHURA). The proposal to request recommendation has already been submitted to the Governor of North Sumatra and will later be submitted to the Ministry of Forestry. In relation with Grand Forest Park development, the Head of South Tapanuli District was allocated fund to build research station infrastructure, forest trail, wildlife watching tower, modest eco lodge, and a canopy bridge.
A joint task force Conservation International with North Sumatra NGOs named NGOs Alliance for North Sumatra Spatial Planning was also established to influence the North Sumatra Spatial Revision and the Ministerial Decree Revision process regarding forest status in North Sumatra Province. This effort will influence and enforce forest status changes in the Batang Toru Forest North Sumatra Province
Furthermore, the Sumatra central government and Sumatra Spatial Planning Alliance (For Trust) have involved Conservation International in developing a Presidential Decree to address ecosystem-based, Sumatra-wide spatial planning. This effort will influence and enforce a forest status change in the BTFE, making it more compatible with conservation development and regional sustainable development.
Conservation International together with OCSP/USAID Program was facilitated establish multi-stakeholder collaborative management institution and its multi-stakeholder legitimate the Batang Toru Orangutan Conservation Action Plan. Facilitating also includes providing alternative sustainable financial mechanism for long-term orangutan conservation in BTFE.
On 17 – 18 October and 30 – 31 October 2009, multi-stakeholder meeting for collaborative management institution and sustainable funding for future Batang Toru management was conducted in Brastagi.
Final draft documents that mater discussed by small working group. There are four preferences for alternative of collaborative institution model selected, that is a). Technical Implementation Unit and or Regional General Services Agency, which it’s declared and acknowledged based on Head of Government Decision and followed by local government regulation, fully owned and managed by government official, b). Management Authority Agency that it is affirmed and its recognized by Head of Government Decision and pursued by local government regulation, Steering Council can consist multi-stake holder representatives c) Foundation institution, this option formed by Act Notary, owned and managed by stakeholder representatives, and it’s has tendency is not to be transparent and exclusive d) Association institution, this alternative formed by Act Notary, owned and managed by stakeholder representatives as well as government and non government delegates and more inclusive, transparent and democratic compare with a foundation institution.
Those appropriate institution model will decided by multi-stakeholder representative’s in the future multi-stakeholder meeting. Sustainable funding sources options depend on the institution options. Its can be funded by government owned financing, Payment Environmental Services, Corporate Social Responsiblity, Trust fund, REED. Another alternative mechanisme is Debt Nature Swaps - Tropical Forest Conservation Act which administrated by CI and Kehati has biggest opportunity in the short term to funding of Batang Toru Actionable Plan.
In order to support long-term Sumatran orangutan conservation in BTFE, Conservation International and OCSP/USAID was facilitated and established the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Forum (TRANSFORM). This forum endorsed by Head of North Sumatra Natural Resources Agency dated on 4 August 2009.
Conservation efforts in BTFE will be successful, only if people support them, now and well into the future. This support must be public and broad-based to withstand the inevitable periodic efforts by parts of society to divert resources or support for natural resource management efforts to other priorities. Alliances of civil society, communities, the private sector, and government are a powerful tool to create this support. Creating alliances will require building awareness and creating incentives for people to support conservation efforts. These alliances will be most effective if members actively participate in developing and implementing such conservation efforts. Fostering this participation will require helping the relevant decision-making and resource management agencies develop mechanisms to seek public input and active support.
Therefore, we have worked with stakeholders at local level to build the community-level conservation program, including; facilitating to establish community-based conservation agreement and community-led task force for orangutan habitat protection, establish inter-village institution for conserving Batang Toru Forest Block, and build community conservation learning and information center.
Prior to implementing activities at village levels aimed at achieving common consensus to the conservation of natural forest and its biodiversity, strategic issue and objectives were initially assessed using a participatory appraisal methodology. The local strategic issue was identified as the preservation of water source due to the fact that the local people significantly rely on water supply for their own agriculture, mainly paddy fields. And to maintain such an important water supply, the forests surrounding the village need to be conserved. The strategic objectives were therefore: (a) to foster the need for village conservation agreement on the conservation of forest resources; and (b) to support the development or improvement of village livelihood through appropriate facilitation.
The activities were undertaken in four villages, namely Sibulan-bulan and Sitandiang villages from North Tapanuli District, and the villages of Aek Nabara and Uluala from the South Tapanuli District. Main activities undertaken to achieve those objectives in each village were: (a) encouraging the villagers’ awareness on the importance of water sources through presentation of film on natural resources and environment; (b) developing village mapping and appraisal using Participatory Rural Appraisal methodology aimed at prioritizing livelihood aspects to be addressed; (c) provision of trainings in producing growth stimulant for crops, bio-pesticide and compost; (d) rehabilitation of water irrigation; (e) generating village conservation agreement based on activity b above; (f) provision of village library as a media for education improvement.
A Rapid Village Appraisal and Mapping resulted in a number of livelihood priorities specific to respective villages that were recommended to be addressed. It was only the provision of trainings in producing growth stimulant for crops, bio-pesticide and compost, and the rehabilitation of water irrigation that could be provided for those villages during the project implementation. In addition, as one of priorities being acquired by Aek Nabara village, a village library and conservation learning center was established and developed as the main media for people education in the village. Another important conclusion was to generate village conservation agreement, with which the local people in respective villages would consent to the committed arrangement for conserving the village natural resources and forest resources.
The approach adopted by Conservation International was worked with communities and local government agencies to develop community conservation-livelihood strategies that provide frameworks for: (i) recognizing communities traditional role in conserving natural resources; (ii) recognizing which local agricultural/forest livelihood systems are compatible with environmental conservation; and (iii) strengthening communities/other stakeholders understanding/ commitment to conservation as an approach to protect the environmental services (biodiversity, watersheds and carbon stocks). Strategies also identified/facilitated technical and marketing services/improvements to enable communities to enhance the productivity/profitability of their agro-forestry livelihood systems.
All five focal villages developed conservation-livelihood strategies that included recognition of priority crops, a prioritization of technical training and relevant follow-up activities, and commitment to conservation. Three communities in Sibulanbulan, Aek Nabara and Sitandiang have developed strategy working documents called livelihood-conservation strategy agreements. Agreements consist of introduction, background, goal, objectives, and plans to achieve objectives, roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders, terms of the agreement, activities, and monitoring plan. Additional clauses can be included as necessary. Agreements are intend to be transparent, equitable, realistic and flexible.
Additionally, a Village Head Decree initiated a community-led taskforce to conserve village natural resources was also discussed and signed by the local community in Aek Nabara Village and Tanjung Rompah Areas (Hutagodang, Tanjung Rompah, Bonan Dolok and Siranap Villages). This decree was increased conservation awareness at local level to forest protection of the BTFE, in particularly for conserving Sumatran orangutan and its habitat. Although there are no operational fund anymore from Conservation International, village-based conservation task force in Tanjung Rompah and Aek Nabara have been continuing forest monitoring work in Batang Toru Forest Block, particularly forest in adjacent their village. The Natural Resources Conservation Agency of North Sumatra and Government of South Tapanuli District will recruited and funded some member of task force and inter-village cooperation for Batang Toru Conservation is a part of government-owned self-supporting natural resources protection unit.
5.2.2 Develop and promote rubber-based sustainable livelihood options
The BTFE includes part of three different districts - North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, and South Tapanuli. The three districts have similar history, demographic, livelihood and economic characteristics. All three have large rural-based populations with population densities varying from 126/km2 in Central Tapanuli, to 69/km2 in North Tapanuli, to 54/km2 in South Tapanuli . The population is dominated by the indigenous Batak Toba, Batak Pesisir, Batak Angkola-Mandailang ethnic groups with some communities of Javanese or Nias. The watershed covers approximately 100,000 ha, includes 251 villages with a human population of 133,971 in 27,906 households.
Natural forest and agro-forests are the primary land cover. Elevations range from 200 m to 1500 m, with slopes of 30° to 60°. The local communities have a l ong history of sustainable forest resource management through a gradient of land use intensities ranging from mixed tree gardens where species composition is largely controlled by farmers and management is intermediate, to natural forests where impact from human intervention is light with small quantities of products harvested. In between are various types to agro-forests (forest farming systems) where human management favors plant species that provide useful/valuable products but management remains extension rather than intensive. Mixed tree garden and agro-forest systems are collectively referred to as upland agro-forestry systems.
Land ownership various from 1 to 2 hectares per-household. Agriculture is dominated by irrigated rice production and upland tree-based agro-forestry systems, which include: (1) rubber agro-forestry (jungle rubber) systems; (2) durian agro-forestry systems; (3) rubber monoculture systems; (4) home garden systems; (5) fruit-cacao systems; (6) pinang-cacao agro-forestry systems; (7) cinnamon monoculture systems; (8) upland rice-banana-cassava-cacao systems, and (9) coffee monoculture systems. Key products of these systems include rice (Oryza sativa), rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), cacao (Theobroma cacao), coffee (Coffee arbica and C. robusta), kemenyan (Styrax benzoin), aren (Arenga pinnata), durian (Durio zibethinus), petai (Parkia speciosa), candlenut (Aleurites moluccana), salak (Salacca zalacca), and banana (Musa sp). Other fruits, medicinal crops and timber are also produced in these systems. Rice, medicinal crops and timbers are primarily produced for home use. Rubber, cacao and kemenyan are exclusively market crops. Other crops are both consumed in the home and marketed. None of the agro-forestry systems are intensely because farmers lack access to high quality germ plasm, technical support, infrastructure, and market information.
On this project, Conservation International conducted simulation study the SeXI-FS (Spatially Explicit Individual-based Forest Simulator) model to predict the dynamic growth and yield of durian-rubber agro-forestry systems in the Batang Toru area. Rubber was selected because it is the main smallholder crop in Batang Toru Areas. Durian species (Durio sp) was selected because it is favored by farmers, has a high and lucrative market demand, and also can sustain orangutan populations by providing both food and habitat. The data used in the model was based on biophysical and farmer surveys that determined the relationship between durian fruit production and tree structure. Four durian-rubber compositions were compared, durian as 7%, 17%, 33% and 50% of a 1 ha agro-forestry system. Other parameters were: durian production starts at 15 years and fruits are harvested every 2 years; rubber production starts after its diameter is 15 cm; the price for durian is Rp 3000/fruit and for dry rubber latex price Rp 6000/kg.
Model results show that increases in the durian component increased overall income of the system, although not at a statistically significant level. Changes in the species composition have little impact on the overall income from rubber-durian agro-forest, when prices of both commodities are constant. However, the prices of both durian and rubber commonly fluctuate. Farmers constantly alter their management practices, and even the components of their agro-forestry systems, based their expectation of future prices. Mixed rubber agro-forestry systems provide farmers greater flexibility to respond to dynamic market forces and price fluctuations. The model results support the development of multiple species agro-forestry systems.
Initial consultative meetings were held with approximately 500 local stakeholders representing 50 villages aimed at evaluating and selecting priority villages where the livelihood project pilot would be implemented. Five villages were selected for that purpose, namely: Sibulan-bulan (of North Tapanuli District), Hutagurgur (of Central Tapanuli District), Sitandiang, Wek I and Aek Nabara (of South Tapanuli District). The project’s livelihood-conservation strategies and model sites were implemented in those five focal villages.
Supporting the improvement of local agro-forestry system was undertaken in those villages, where cacao and rubber have been the main plantations that provide income to the local communities. A series of trainings in sustainable farming practices and nursery development were provided to the local communities, under a close collaboration with CI-Indonesia and its local NGO partners. Altogether, there were over 1,300 farmers involved in 13 sessions of trainings and supervision held in those focal villages. This expectedly made 600 hectares of farmer agro-forestry systems under improved management, where 120 farmers (22.5% women) were actively involved in all project activities. Impacts from these technical capacity building activities have been realized. Based on experience and observations at the site a 10-15% increase in rubber and cacao production is estimated in communities that have adapted improved management of those crops. Additionally, a total of 25,000 rubber seedlings have been produced in focal villages. This is enough to establish approximately 80 hectares of smallholder rubber agroforestry systems. Experience at similar sites indicate that under smallholder management conditions cloned rubber seedlings will start to produce latex 5-6 years after establishment and yield a minimum of 100% more latex annually than local rubber germplasm, which do not produce latex until 10-15 years after establishment. In turn, this would expectedly make 10,000 ha of natural forests benefiting from improved natural resource management.
5.3. SPECIAL NOTES: US Ambassador Visit
The US Ambassador to Indonesia, Cameron R. Hume, visited the Batang Toru Watershed Areas on March 25, 2008. He was accompanied by Thomas Friedman, a celebrated author and columnist for the New York Times. Also escorting the Ambassador were Glen Prickets, Conservation International Vice President for Conservation and Environmental Leadership and Business (CELB) and Arifin Panigoro of Medco Corporation who sits on the Conservation International Indonesia Advisory Board.
The group arrived at Aek Nabara Village
They also exhibited their agro-forestry products including nutmeg, cinnamon, coffee, rubber, and cocoa. The Ambassador was impressed by the agro-forestry system that the villagers had implemented. The community has successfully planted durian, cocoa, salacca, cinnamon, coffee, and all types of seasonal tropical fruits, including rambutan and mangoes. The agro-forestry system was adopted because of its positive impact on the peripheral areas of orangutan habitat, while at the same time it preserves the agricultural heritage of the community.
The Ambassador and the group later took to the skies for an aerial view of the orangutan habitat in Batang Toru, South Tapanuli, North Sumatra .
HIGH LIGHT OF THE PROJECT RESULTS
Ø Forest change status proposal from forest production status to protection forest endorsed and signed by Governor of North Sumatra. Its mean, a protection status level of the remaining natural forest of BTFE is higher, which a total cover area 168.000 hectares which cover three districts through several policy intervention, e.g. provincial biodiversity-sensitive spatial planning policies intervention, community-based conservation agreement, inter-village cooperation institution and village-based forest conservation task force and multi-stakeholder collaborative management institution.
Ø 600 hectares of rubber agro-forestry systems under improved management, where 120 farmers were enthusiastically participated in all project activities. In addition, there were five nurseries created, where 25,000 rubber seedlings were produced.
Ø Community-based conservation agreement discussed, agreed, supported and signed by local community in five villages.
Ø Generation of additional income from conservation activities (forest patrolling, community gathering, tress planting)
Ø 10,000 ha of natural forests benefiting from improved village-based natural resource management.
Ø Population and distribution of Sumatran Orangutan in BTFE detected and endangered species list generated.
Ø Sustainable funding for future conservation efforts in BTFE established and provided through Tropical Forest Conservation Act instrument.
Ø The Community-based Natural Resources Monitoring Unit for BTFE protection consisting of the local people in five villages has been established to continue patrolling the forest.
Ø All key stakeholders (i.e., communities, all district governments, national government, private sectors) concurred to establish a multi-stakeholder network (in a form of Batang Toru Collaborative Management Forum) and Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Forum (TRANSFORM), that would promote the sustainability of existing natural resources and biodiversity of the BTFE for the benefits of both the local people and wildlife conservation in the areas.
Ø The government of South Tapanuli District has allocate the district annual budget (i.e., APBD) for initiating such a process for the fiscal year 2008 and 2010 for establish research station and ecotourism center in BTFE.
Ø Deforestation in BTFE detected and shared to relevant key stakeholder and appropriate mitigation action plan to halt deforestation established
Ø The project has facilitated the local communities in fulfilling a number of needs at village levels. Small-scale rehabilitation of irrigation system has been done in one villages, rubber nurseries have been developed in five villages, trainings in sustainable agriculture practices were provided to the farmers in two villages, a village library functioning as a village information center was established in two villages and a curriculum model incorporating the orangutan conservation was participatory developed with a l ocal school in one village.
5.4 SECURING THE ECOSYSTEM INTEGRITY OF Batang Gadis
National Park
In addition to the BTFE area, Conservation International also aims at securing the ecosystem integrity of the Batang Gadis National Park in Mandailing Natal District.
In relation to achieve that aim, Conservation International was carrying out conservation endeavor in these areas are following:
a. Participatory park boundary setting and demarcation including in some conflict areas
b. Support government and communities in the renegotiation of the park boundary in an area where community land was included in the park.
c. With support from park management authority, local government and convince village leaders to offer agricultural employment to Nias settlers in the park in return for giving up land in park.
d. Develop and promote sustainable livelihood options for communities in the bufferzone of the park, with focus on reforestation with timber and rubber trees
e. Surveys of conservation status and conservation for Sumatran tiger through continue camera-trapping in different parts of the park to monitor tiger and other wildlife populations and monitor and advise park management on cases of human-tiger conflict
Here described ultimate project achievement orangutan conservation effort in Batang Gadis National Park according as follows
5.4.1 Participatory park boundary setting and demarcation
Conservation International has fostered discussion sessions between the central government and district government officials to converse and negotiate the issues and details of the Batang Gadis National Park boundaries with local communities. Following discussion result, a park boundary agreement was written up along with a map, and it was signed by the head of the village. The first phase of temporary boundary demarcation was constructed in 2007. The initial phase resulted in a boundary 100 kilometers long, and this will be extended another 100 kilometers during the second phase in 2009 – 2010.
5.4.2 Support government and communities in the renegotiation of the
park boundary in Tor Sihayo Forest Block
Land tenure conflict of Nias illegal settlers inside Batang Gadis National Park was discussed and negotiated among district government and national park agency to find win-win and participatory conflict resolution.
Conservation International has also discovered that forest degradation and increased population around the forests in Mandailing Natal Regency has reached an alarming level. The people of Nias origin in Sihayo Forest Block and its surrounding, which have earned a status as a protected forest, and also around Batang Gadis National Park, have caused problems, specifically the clearing of approximately 2,000 ha of forests.
Illegal logging and land conversion into residences by the Nias people have also caused resentment and social conflicts among other inhabitants around the forest. Therefore, Conservation International inventoried the extent of forest conversion into plantations and areas of residence by the Nias ethnicity in Sihayo Forest Block.
A collaborative team was established to do the inventory, with members representing the local government, Conservation International, local law enforcement, and volunteers from four villages, which are Hutagodang Muda Village, Muara Batang Angkola Village, Tanggabosi Village, and Tanjung Sialang Village.
Based on the inventory, the following results were collected:
· Nias people migrated to Sihayo because the small island where they came from is overpopulated, its lands are no longer fertile, and work is hard to find. Some are also encouraged to move by their relatives or friends in Sihayo.
· Nias ethnicity in Sihayo prefers to live in isolation, coming out only once a week on Market Day, making government socialization / realization programs on population control hard to reach them.
· All Nias people in Sihayo and its surrounding work in plantations, namely cocoa, rubber, pecan, nilam and chilies. Nilam currently is economically highest in value.
· Other inhabitants around the area are aware of the law and regulations concerning land conversion in protected forests and they have grown more disgruntled to see the newcomers from Nias could easily clear forests and no action has been taken by local law enforcers. This delicate situation, if not handled properly, can turn into serious conflicts between different ethnicities and religions.
· Nias people currently utilize 340.75 ha of land within the boundaries of protected forests and 173.5 ha inside Batang Gadis National Park, totaling an area of 504.25 ha.
· Based on questionnaires, most of the Nias people gained the lands by directly clearing the forests themselves, without obtaining permission from anyone. Some illegally bought the lands, while a small percentage received their lands from relatives as gifts or inheritance.
Conclusively, a land tenure conflict regarding Nias illegal settlers inside Batang Gadis National Park was discussed and negotiated among the district government and the national park agency to come to a compromise and a participatory conflict resolution. A temporary alternative solution was found for the illegal settlers through a government-owned community planted forest scheme in the Bukit Malintang Sub-district, but this option still proposed to government.
The result an anthropology assessment concluded to find out the best solution for the involuntary and managed translocation of these illegal settlers.
The research findings explain that the occupation of the state forest near the Tor Sihayo area had started since the end of 1970s by the Nias migrant in particular. It is predicted no less than 200 households with the amount of more or less 1000 individual of Nias occupants now live in the protection forest region in adjacent areas of Batang Gadis National Park and even some of them have been occupied some parts of national park. More than 500 hectares of forest land had been degraded so far. Nias migrant cutting forest and cultivate some food crops, cacao, candlenut and other annual crops, and some of them now adopt rubber plant. A few local residents had also contributed to the process of the forest degradation. However, the presence of Nias migrant in Tor Sihayo area have made a significant economic contribution in local market, and a patron-client relationship has established between Nias migrant forest dweller and local merchants, especially in Muara Batang Angkola village. It has a positive impact on the village level economic growth mainly for Muara Batang Angkola, but on the other hand, it is also drive a negative effect which can be seen in the strengthened of Anti-Nias migrant sentiment and negative stereotyping on Nias migrant by the local community. This phenomenon can be found easily between the local resident of Hutagodang Muda who has a potential latent conflict with Nias migrant, and is predicted easier to be manifested in an overt violence sometime in the future.
On the other hand, there are also potential conflicts among the villager of the three closest villages who live in the vicinity of Tor Sihayo region. These three villages have the traditional claim based on their communal laws over the forest. From the legal perspective, most of the forest areas which they claimed as their communal property, in fact, are the main part of protected forest based on the national laws. Most of the local people know the rules, but according to adat laws they believe they still have access to use forest land, although the community leader of these three villages also have different opinions about their own village border line. In other words, there are also overlapped claims among these villages over the same forest land in Tor Sihayo, while the Nias migrant nowadays are the real occupants of the most part of the protected forest or so-called as the communal forest claimed by the local people. Local residents hope the government would be able to consider releasing the protected areas to the local people, in order to give them an access to land as a legal way to deal with their economic problems. They are involved in a conflicting interest of each other, while at the same time they realize that they should also face the fact that local authorities will strictly control the state forest from illegal activities.
Based on the result of this research, it has been described there are some alternative actions that able to be chosen as a pathway to resolve the conflict over natural resources in state forest areas around Tor Sihayo. However, there is no reason to let the people occupied the conservation forest of Batang Gadis National Park. In other words, based on the national laws all kinds of illegal activities should be prohibited in any parts of conservation forests. The only one opportunity to compromise or to mix the opposing needs for conservation and economic needs of the local people is recommended here through the implementation of a collaborative management on protected forests surrounding the national park. There are two legal options that can be chosen from the bundle of forest-related rules available from the Minister of Forestry Decree, i.e. community forestry scheme and the newest policy on village forest scheme. Based on this research, it is recommended to prefer to the village forest scheme, based on a few considerations below. First, in village forest schema the responsibility to manage protected forest sustainably is relied on the village institution, not individual or group of individual like in community forestry scheme. This schema has an advantage to strengthen the village institutions rather than give the advantage to the individuals. Second, by giving the responsibility into the village institutions then the village communities have a big opportunity to build their consensus on the management of the forest for the benefits of all people in the village which could drive a stronger community support to participate in collaborative management. Third, over thirty years some local communities who live in the river bank in a few sub-district of Mandailing Natal District, have been developing a local wisdom on natural resources management so-called “lubuk larangan”, a sustainable social capital-based communal resources management which performed some benefits to the communities as well as environment. This form of local wisdom can be replicated into the management of village forest. By doing so, the management of village forest in state forest will culturally sound and then also hoped as economically equitable and ecologically sustainable.
This policy report presented and discussed with key relevant stakeholder in Panyabungan dated on 12 August and attended by 27 participants from local government, national park agency, local police and sub district representatives. This report will submitted to Head of Mandailing Natal Government and Department of Forestry for the future decision making processes to resolve illegal settlers inside the national park.
The results of those activities will be used to further address the complexity of the problems facing Tor Sihayo Forest Block and the surrounding areas. Firm actions must be taken transparently among all inhabitants, aimed at resolving conflicts and finding fair solutions for all inhabitants in and around the forest block. Alternative livelihood programs must also be implemented, as well as installations of visible signage indicating the existence and boundaries of protected forests.
In relation with that, Conservation International facilitated and contributed to establish a sixty “national park sign border” signboards in along border of national park in Siabu Sub-district. Signboard installment has impact to increase conservation awareness of Nias illegal settlers to decrease and halt forest encroachment inside the park.
5.4.3. Surveys and monitoring through forest cover change detection
and continue wildlife camera-trapping
This imagery analysis was conducted to create the baselines for measuring progress towards conservation goals outlined in the GITI Tires project. ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) imagery, at a resolution of 15 meters, was compared to a Landsat 5 baseline of forest cover for 2000.
Areas within the BGNP labeled non-forest are based on a previous analysis of forest cover change between the years 1990 and 2000. Observed areas of further clearance, defined as forest becoming non-forest, were detected using visual interpretation and digitized manually. The data used cover the years 2003, through 2007. Complete imagery coverage of the park does not exist for every year, however between all years all areas of the park were analyzed. Total areas do not include clearance smaller than 1/10 hectare. The data have not been validated and thus some of the clearings detected are likely due to natural disturbance such as tree fall and landslides.
The result of imagery observations revealed that a total of 219 hectares of forest clearance in 55 distinct clearings were detected within the Batang Gadis National Park boundary from 2003 through 2007 (Map 5 ). Of these, 20 encompass less than one hectare, 28 ranges between one and ten hectares, and 7 are greater than 10 hectares in size. The largest individual clearing covers 30 hectares. As might be expected, almost all clearings are not remote, with the mean distance to the park boundary being less than one kilometer. When compared to a random sample of 500 points inside the park, the mean elevation of clearings is low, only 780 meters above sea level, compared to 950 meters for the random sample. However the mean slope of terrain where clearings are found was 18 degrees, slightly higher than the 16 degrees for the random sample. The distribution of clearings with respect to distance from the park boundary, elevation and slope is negligible.
There are three clusters of recent clearings along the northeastern border, almost all detected in 2006 and 2007. Near the northwestern border there appears to be the creation of a road in 2003 that was extended in 2004, and further south another small road network detected in 2005. There are also two areas of apparent road construction in 2006 along the southern border of the park (One is the extension of a previously deforested area inside the boundary and the other is a road through forested land both outside and inside the park.
Graph 2 . Distribution of clearings by size class in BGNP
Graph 3. Cumulative area cleared for each size class in BGNP
Scientific Name | Common Name | IUCN Status | CITES Status | Indonesia Law Protection Status | Location of picture taken |
Panthera tigris sumatrae | Sumatran Tiger | CR | App I | Protected | Aek Nangali, Sopotinjak, Sihayo, Ampung Julu, Sale Baru |
Macaca nemestrina | Pig tail macaca | VU | App II | ||
Tapirus indicus | Malayan tapir | VU | App I | Protected | Aek Nangali, Sopotinjak, Sihayo, Ampung Julu. |
Muntiacus muntjak | Common barking deer | Protected | |||
Neofelis nebulosa | Clouded leopard | VU | App I | Protected | Aek Nangali, Sopotinjak |
Hystrix brachyura | Common Porcupine | VU | Protected | ||
Tragulus javanicus | Mouse deer | Protected | |||
Argusianus argus | Great argus | Protected | Aek Nangali, Ampung Julu, Sihayo | ||
Cervus unicolor | Sambar deer | Protected | |||
Arctitis binturong | Binturong | Protected | Aek Nangali | ||
Herlarctos malayanus | Sun bear | DD | App I | Protected | Aek Nangali, Sopotinjak, Sihayo |
Lophura mormata | Salvadori's Pheasant | VU | |||
Martes flavigula | Yellow-throated Marten | EN | Sihayo, Aek Nangali, Ampung Julu, Sopotinjak | ||
Felis marmorata | Marbled cat | DD | App I | Protected | Sopotinjak, Aek Nangali, Ampung Julu |
Naemorhedus sumatraensis | Monuntain goat | EN | App I | Protected | Sihayo |
Felis bengalensis | Leopard cat | App I | Protected | Aek Nangali, Ampung Julu | |
Catopuma temminckii | Golden cat | LR | App I | Protected | Aek Nangali, Ampung Julu |
Note: CE (critically endangered), E (endangered), VU (vulnerable), App (most concerned).
Table 6. List of endagered mammals species taken by camera traps.
During project implementation, nine camera traps were instaled inside Batang Gadis National park in Sopotinjak Areas and Aek Nangali Batang Natal Sub-district to monitoring of Sumatran Tiger. This camera successful taken 18 photographs of animal species, including endagered wildlife species such as Malayan Sunbear, Asian Tapir, Sumatran tiger, Porcupine. Table 6 described list of endagered mammals species taken by camera traps.
A total of 17 tiger photographs were collected during tiger monitoring project. The survey result is suitable Sumatran tiger habitat in BGNP is 532.3 km2. Combining the estimated tiger population size in the sampled area with the effective sampling coverage of suitable habitat, estimate the density of tigers in BGNP to be 1,1 tigers/100km2.
The mean density of 1.1 tigers/100km2 was comparable with O’Brien et al. (2003). Assuming the given density represented the mean tiger’s density in the suitable habitat inside the park boundary, we estimated a mean of 14 tigers living in the park. If we applied the estimated a mean density to the entire forested areas in and adjacent to the park, we estimated a mean of 22 tigers living in the areas.
The number of photographs per species for tigers and their prey ranged between 4 for sambar deer and 77 for pig-tailed macaques. Thus the trapping effort needed to collect a photograph of each species ranged between 432 trap nights for Sambar deer and 22 trap nights for pig-tailed macaques. This survey found no significant correlation between tigers and seven prey species in BGNP. Surprisingly, sambar deer and wild pig, main prey of tigers, was only photograph 4 and 9 times respectively. This may indicated that this area has poor prey base. Different may show different result in the relationship between tigers and their prey. In Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia, the most important prey species for tigers were wild pigs and deer, while in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, tigers were only predicted by sambar deer. Common baking deer (Muntjac) and tapir had the third and fourth highest of potential prey, and they tend to be evenly distributed through the sampled area. This might explain why the distribution of Muntjac did not appear to predict the distribution of tigers. However, we believe that Muntjac is an important food for tiger in the park. On the other hand, tapir as tigers prey is still questionable.
BGNP is a new national park, that essentially connects two large forest blocks of Angkola ecosystem and Barumun-Rokan Wildlife Reserve. Survey found an evidence of a same tiger individual photographed at two different camera locations located at the northern and southern sections of the park. It was unlikely that the tiger moving across at the villages that occur between the sections. We suspected that the tiger moving through the narrow isthmus of forest that connects the two sections .If so, than the park potentially serves as an important natural corridor for the two forested landscape. Thus, there should be a further to test such a hypothesis. In the new document Setting Priorities for the Conservation and Recovery of Wild Tigers : 2005-2015: The Technical Assessment ( Sanderson et al. 2006), the park is categorized as TCL 3 (Tiger Conservation Landscape), one is due to area size. One of the mandates is to increase the TCL status by increasing the size a given TCL. Joining the BGNP with Angkola and Barumun-Rokan may increase the statue of the landscape. We estimated a total of more than 6500 km2 by combining Angkola, BGNP, and Barumun-Rokan. If we applied the estimated density of tiger in BGNP to the entire landscape, than a rough estimate of 97 tigers potentially living in the landscape, a substantial contribution to the global population of Sumatran tiger. Thus the next immediate need should be to assess tiger status of the entire landscape.
Hunting pressure believed common other tiger habitats. A series of questionnaire-based survey conducted by Conservation International found in villages around the park no evidence of hunting on tigers, giving an optimistic long-term survival of tigers in park. Such a study suggests that the greatest threat to tigers in the landscape is conflicts with human over habitat usage instead of direct hunting on tigers. Tiger-human conflict has occurred at logging or ex-logging areas, resulting in the killing of two tigers. Additionally, tiger habitats have been severely damaged by the increasing conversion of forest areas in the landscape for plantations and agricultural uses. Other threat is gold mining concession that highly overlaps with the core area of the park. Such an activity increases tiger-human interaction in the park. Moreover, one photograph of tigress with swelling nipples taken by camera trap (figure 5) and one naturally killed cub found recently indicate that tiger population in the park is still productive. However, we have been informed a few cases of hunting in tigers in other parts of the landscape. Discounting hunting activity in such unsecured places would lead hunters extending their activity to other secure places, such as BGNP. Nevertheless, no detailed investigation on threats has been done. Thus determining threats of tiger in the landscape is urgently needed, especially direct hunting of tigers and other large mammals, so that we could immediately set up conservation actions to deal with.
Conservation International found that the condition of tiger habitats in some areas around the BGNP has been damaged. This damaged is caused by illegal logging in some areas adjacent to the national park. Based on information gathered from local communities who live in or around the park, poaching of tigers in BGNP and in surrounding areas is rare, primarily for culture regions. In many villages surrounding the park, tigers have traditionally been viewed as protectors of the local communities. Thus, community members seem receptive to tiger conservation and protection initiatives. Finally, in this initial stage, camera trapping was used to simply determine the presence or absence of tigers in these areas. However, in the future, the method can also be used to reveal ecological characteristics of tigers, because camera trapping is quite effective to estimate tigers’ relative abundance and predict the occurrences of tigers and their prey. The result, consequently, can help the team determine the necessary core areas of tigers and their prey to be recommended for monitoring and tiger conservation strategy in BGNP.
5.4.4 Develop and promote sustainable livelihood options for communities in the buffer zone of the park, with focus on reforestation with timber and rubber trees
In order to develop and promote sustainable livelihood options, it is important to understand the priority sites by examining the ecological impact and socio-economic condition of local communities for rubber agro-forestry based reforestation project success.
This project activity focused in feasibility research through a GIS analysis and social survey methods to propose priority sites by examining several factors such as deforestation threats caused by human activities, possibility of disasters, and the acceptance of local communities for project participation. In addition, this study assesses the requirements of project implementation to have a full appreciation of the impact of rehabilitation. The outcome of this study is a model of the site selection and the implementation plan for future rubber agro-forestry based reforestation projects in the buffer zone of the BGNP.
The result a feasibility assessment concluded to find out the best way out for the priority sites for future reforestation project, followings are resulted.
The results of the priority site selection were different based on which factor was weighted. For instance, there was a clear difference of result when population change and distance to park boundary were prioritized. However, a similar trend can be seen through all sixteen scenarios for high priority areas. The correlation between each factor might cause this similarity. Based on the overall results derived from the GIS analysis (Map. 6), the highest priority sites for reforestation project were located at the north eastern part of the national park in Siabu Sub-district near Soposorik village. According to the interviews of farmers in Soposorik village, the proposed site contains a previously illegal logging site and is also located close to a mining concession site. Due to mining and illegal logging activities, there were major roads found inside the park in this area (Map. 7). The existence of these threats was in line with the result of the GIS analysis and would support the prioritization of this area. This analysis indicated that there were also high priority sites located in the center and western part of the national park. The motivation to participate in a reforestation project was very high. All farmers mentioned that they were willing to participate in the reforestation
project. Local farmers expected alternative income from the plantation and that the species they wanted to plant were mainly rubber along with candle nut and fruit trees, such as durian and mango. However, farmers mentioned that what they wanted was more rubber than the other species
It is important to examine both the role of forest rehabilitation, and economic contribution when deciding which species to be planted. The communities’ overall preference was rubber because of its relatively high and stable market price. However, there are tradeoffs between diversity and rubber production. Table 7 showed the comparison of net income from jungle rubber and selected rubber plantations. Although a jungle rubber plantation is a balanced, diversified system more conserve biodiversity and its structure is similar to that of a secondary forest), the contribution to net income is much lower than selected rubber plantation and requires more land to maintain the same level of income.
Given the purpose of this project, the balance between forest rehabilitation and contribution to income would be important to decide upon which species is best. One of the solutions to increase income without losing a significant level of diversity would be to increase income from non-rubber species. Because non-rubber species are mostly for household consumption, there would be an opportunity to increase income by developing transportation and marketing of these species, such as timber and fruits.
MAP 8. The highest reforestation priority sites selected by GIS Analysis
Based on result of this assessment that, revealed concerns about the current reforestation project implemented by the forestry office. Timing of the project: The seedlings were provided to local communities in the dry season because of the timing of budget allocation to the local government. Therefore, some local communities were not able to plant seedlings provided by the forestry office due to lack of water and refrained from planting for several weeks. Lack of communication, purpose of forest rehabilitation was not communicated well to local communities as seen in comments of farmers who did not understand the reasons why the forestry office provided more native species than rubber seedlings. This would cause a gap in expectations between the forestry office and communities who expect alternative income from reforestation rather than forest rehabilitation. Addressing these issues is important to provide better outcomes from future reforestation projects.
There are following activities of implementation plan for an improvement of that current reforestation project situation.
1. Developing Nursery
One possible solution to address timing issues would be developing a nursery in this area instead of transporting seedlings from a major market outside BGNP. This would provide greater flexibility of timing to plant seedlings and also avoid damaging seedlings due to transportation. Although the initial cost and resources need to be examined, a nursery system would provide long-term benefit and sustainable reforestation schemes in this area
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2. Education and Training Program
Given the trade-offs between conservation and income contribution, species selection is a challenging part of this project. Because local communities expect more mono-culture rubber plantation because of its greater income contribution in the short-term, they will not plant diverse species without understanding the importance of diversity. It is necessary to communicate the importance of planting diverse species to local communities from ecological and economic standpoints: for instance the effect of native species on soil erosion control and water run-off control, species habitats, and also the long-term income contribution from timber species. Therefore, an education program to increase environmental and conservation awareness should be associated with reforestation projects. Furthermore, training in agro-forestry methods is also necessary in order to maintain diversity and provide substantial income to the communities.
3. Evaluation and Monitoring Systems
Finally, we need to develop monitoring and evaluation standards for future reforestation projects. The evaluation criteria of reforestation projects should consist of factors to assess both ecological impact and socio-economic conditions. The possible evaluation criteria would be as follows:
· Ecological impact: forest coverage, species composition, erosion level, and key species population in the conservation area
· Socio-economic impact: income contribution to local communities from reforestation areas, conservation awareness of local communities
In order to ensure that lessons learned from this reforestation project inform future projects, the development of an information system is also important. Furthermore, the involvement of local communities to planning, acting, and monitoring cycle is crucial for this project. As one of the first national parks established through a “bottom-up” process and focused on collaborative management, the reforestation project in BGNP can be an important model of participatory buffer zone management for the other national parks in Indonesia.
HIGH LIGHT F THE PROJECT RESULTS
Ø Securing of ecosystem integrity of BGNP which a total cover area 108.000 hectares through participatory park boundary demarcation along 200 km and participatory land use conflict resolution of Nias illegal settlers.
Ø Sustainable funding for future conservation efforts in BGNP established and provided through future Tropical Forest Conservation Act instrument.
Ø Deforestation in BGNP detected and shared to relevant key stakeholder and appropriate mitigation action plan to halt continue deforestation established
Ø Population and distribution of Sumatran tiger and tiger prey and human wildlife conflicts in BGNP detected and list of endangered animal species generated.
Ø Highest priority sites for future reforestation determined scientifically and its improvement reforestation implementation plan established.
6. PROJECT LESSON LEARNED
As described below, some lesson learned was concluded from project implementation to improvement need in the similar future conservation project as follow.
a. For medium-scale program such as this project, closer and equity partnership, excellent coordination and good cooperation among all relevant government agencies and other key stakeholder are indispensable and inevitable to ensure the success of the project design and implementation and future conservation efforts. High long term commitment must be developed within the participating stakeholder who involve in this project.
b. Scaling up project based on lesson learned of this project should be promoted to be more positive impacts in conservation field and well-human being.
c. Clear purpose, outputs and activities of the project are needed for effective management and impact project evaluation.
d. To implement a project with such a large target group, the future project careful designed taking into consideration of feasibility during the given project time frame and the magnitude project outputs.
e. Participatory, multi-layer policy intervention and collaborative management approaches to develop appropriate conservation-sensitive land use planning, protected area management and sustainable economic development require more time, energy, resources and efforts compared conventional approach. It has been a challenge, but necessary to harmonize and integrate nature conservation with local sustainable economic need and appropriate forest land use development.
f. It is indeed true that efforts to conserve biodiversity and environmental services must succeed at the community level and will be the genuine measure of effectiveness. During the project implementation, however, a number of constraints were found in developing a common commitment to conserve biodiversity (e.g., orangutan) and the forests as the habitat for many biodiversity species. Conflict of interests within the policy makers in the region of Northern Sumatra on forest utilization seemed to be the main obstacle for further developing nature conservation measures
g. Within the local communities, especially new immigrants from Nias, agricultural expansion seemed to be the only way of improving their livelihood. Meanwhile, the need for livelihood improvement seems to be the main constraint across the communities in the areas of West Batang Toru and Batang Gadis National Park. In any consultative meeting with the village communities, it has always been the main inquiry for developing sustainable economic development at village level that is capable of incorporating orangutan conservation. Lack of sustainable economic options seemed urgent to deal with prior to endorsing any system of nature conservation management. And yet, there are potentials to diversify economic generating activities at the local levels. Diversifying livelihood income at the local level is surely the superlative option to provide incentives to the people, but this will require a comprehensive approach involving all levels of stakeholders, i.e. the availability of private sectors supporting market for new income generating initiative, the willingness of local governments to facilitate any new initiative in alternative activities at the community level, and the readiness of local community themselves in developing new income generating alternatives
h. Continuous effort and collaboration among local, regional, national and international cooperation are necessary to execute future project in the field of forest conservation and sustainable economic development in Northern Sumatra Corridor.
7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMEDATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTION PLAN
Most of project achievement during two years project implementation has been accomplishment as scheduled up until November 2009, and evaluation results based on five evaluation criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability) are moderate satisfactory.
This project has high efficiency with coordination and builds partnership among key stakeholder. Project effectiveness is judged “moderate” due to some uncertainty in program design and implementation, such as lack of local political support, inappropriate land use and spatial plan policies and cultural constraints in local communities to support project implementation more successfully. Nevertheless, project outputs were mostly achieved satisfactory by the end project period. In terms of project sustainability, this project has developed sustainable financing through Debt Nature Swap - Tropical Forest Conservation Act mechanism, and established some legitimated local institution to continue conservation efforts. Besides that, this project has provided an integrating mechanism to pursue comprehensive forest conservation with sustainable economic development, and will continue to have political supports from government and key stakeholder. However, it’s necessary to consider the ways to ensure the integrating mechanism to secure sustainability after the completion of the project period.
The program GITI Tires-funded has high relevance with Minister of Forestry and Conservation International cooperation on strengthening biodiversity conservation in the remaining natural forest and sound sustainable natural resources use in North Sumatra Province. Also, the project is in accordance with the conservation and sustainable livelihood needs of the target groups both local communities and government. From another an Indonesia government perspective, this project shown in line to implementing Law No. 40 regarding Private Company and Law No. 25 regarding Capital Investment that stated private company should be implementing corporate social and environmental responsibility on business activities.
From GITI Tires sides, that project has high significance to directly contribute to both the community sustainable development, particularly in natural rubber producing region E.g. South Tapanuli and Mandailing Natal Districts and the conservation of globally threatened biodiversity in Sumatra Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot. These projects was demonstrated, that are globally outstanding for their biodiversity conservation and where local communities depend to a significant part on the production of natural rubber and ecosystem. Besides that, this project increasing GITI Tire conservation investments to develop an industry corporate social responsibility leader and creating awareness of the local communities and Indonesia government and unique biodiversity that GITI Tire is helping through their support. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implementation has business importance, because CSR will generate business benefits, such as reduced operating costs, new revenue streams, improved product design, greater asset retention, reduced material use, increased worker productivity, enhanced company reputation or brand image, expanded market share and improved financial performance. It’s also create a unique opportunity for GITI Tire to differentiate itself in the marketplace by demonstrating innovative thinking and actions to solve real environmental challenges faced in the 21st century that would be supported by producer, retailers and customers.
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From Conservation International point of view, this project was shown CI’s new strategy implementation at the ground level. CI’s no longer focus on conserving species, creating protected areas and conservation corridors. Instead, CI’s overarching goal is to change the prevailing development path—to integrate the sustainable lanscape of natural resources into development principles and practices. Although people have always been central to our conservation work, under our new mission our emphasis is on sustaining the well-being of people while protecting the healthy ecosystems (i.e. biodiversity—the genes, species and ecological processes) and ecosystem services). This project has relevance to makes contribute to human well-being benefits on climate security, water security, food security, health security and option values security.
In order to develop future conservation action project, some project recommendation as elaborated below, followings are recommended:
a. Coordination and partnership among key stakeholder should be enhanced to maximize and optimize resources and to generate more project outcomes on future conservation program.
b. More emphasis should be given to formalizing integration mechanism to secure sustainability and conservation after the end project period.
c. Official forest gazettment of Batang Toru Protection Forest and Community Forest in Dairi-South Simbuatan Forest should be completed in the future, so that the conservation and sustainable economic goals is not being made vulnerable in the future.
d. Priority for future program should be given to establishment of an appropriate mechanism in resolving the forest land use issues. Forest land use issue is very sensitive and politically, careful approach should be taken for future conservation project.
e. Another priority for future conservation program is promoting and strengthening sustainable development and conservation in rubber and coffee producing regions of North Sumatra Province. Rubber and coffee are a primary livelihood of millions poor farmer in North Sumatra Province and has strong relationship with creating health ecosystem in the future.
f. Building trust from local communities and local government and other key relevant stakeholder through transparent and honest approaches should be continued with more patience and tolerance. These efforts will induce local people and local government trust to conservation and sustainable livelihood efforts.
