PanEco

The destruction of Tripa threatens a unique orangutan population, contributes to global warming and destroys livelihood opportunities of the local people.

The three coastal peat swamp forests of Aceh cover an area of 190.000 hectares in Northern Sumatra. They harbour the highest densities of orangutans in the world and about 30% of the remaining 6,600 critically endangered Sumatran orangutans. Other flagship species live there too, such as the white-handed Gibbon, Sumatran tigers and the great soft-shelled turtle. Some endangered birds are in fact confined to these wetland forest habitats. These forests are also necessary biological corridors linking the ocean to the Leuser Ecosystem and the Gunung Leuser National park, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Furthermore, the costal peat swamp forests of Aceh are crucial for the livelihood of local people. They act as an effective natural barrier against Tsunami disasters, provide fresh water and shelter and ensure food security with abundant fish and fruits. Finally, these forests contain huge amounts of carbon within their deep peat layer, effectively contributing to mitigate climate change. The consequences of the destruction of Tripa are dramatic. The biodiversity is destroyed, local vulnerability to Tsunami like disasters increases, people loose their means of sustenance and huge quantities of carbon are emitted into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. An assessment by PanEco and World Agroforestry Centre ICRAF estimates, that through the destruction of Tripa circa 30 million tons of carbon will be released into the atmosphere over the next 30 years if deforestation continues at the current rate.

Work in these concessions is normally carried out by non-residents, often brought in from elsewhere and who typically work for less than US$100 a month. This situation traps both the resident population and the newcomers in poverty. New arrivals earn such low wages performing unskilled jobs that they cannot escape poverty, and local residents lose their means of livelihood, as most of the land is claimed for the plantations. A fact, that also prevents both investment opportunities and alternative income generation.

Protecting the coastal peat swamp rainforests is consistent with more than ten Indonesian policies and laws. In particular, the Aceh Provincial government issued a Governor Decree in 1999 on "Forest Function Guidelines in Aceh Province" which stipulates, that all activities on the Leuser Ecosystem must be sustainable. According to the National Government Regulation issued in 2008 (PP No 26/2008), the Leuser Ecosystem is also designated a National Strategic Area and the Tripa-Batee water catchments are identified as National Strategic Water catchments. Finally, the conservation of the Leuser Ecosystem is a requirement under Indonesian Law No.11/2006 on the Governance in Aceh Province.