Banda Aceh - The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and WWF Netherlands is providing financial support for natural forest and mangrove conservation programs in Aceh's three largest watersheds, Peusangan, Jambo Aye, and Tamiang (PJT).

The inauguration of the Share Resources Joint Solutions (SRJS) program was carried out in Banda Aceh on Wednesday (18/1/2017) by the Secretary of Aceh, represented by the Governor's Expert Staff Anwar, attended by government institutions, legislators, NGOs, and community leaders from the Peusangan, Jambo Aye and Tamiang regions.

The program, called SRJS, aims to ensure that ecosystem functions are maintained in the long term to ensure the availability of clean water, food security, climate resilience and biodiversity preservation.

"In the entire island of Sumatra, only Aceh is still complete with protected umbrella species, such as tigers, rhinos, elephants and orangutans," said Anwar Purwoto, Director of Sumatra and Kalimantan WWF-Indonesia. Anwar continued, "Therefore this program is very important to maintain the survival of these animals and ultimately will bring prosperity to the local community, with the availability of clean water and clean air, as well as supporting food security."

In addition to Aceh, the SRJS program is also being implemented in the Bulungan Landscape in North Kalimantan and Yapen Waropen in Papua. The program will run for four years. Implemented by WWF-Indonesia in collaboration with the Krueng Peusangan Watershed Forum and Balai Syura Ureueng Inong Aceh.

The Peusangan, Jambo Aye and Tamiang (PJT) watershed landscape was chosen for the program because it is densely populated (2.3 million Acehnese live in the 1.6 million hectare landscape) and rapidly growing. The area is a hub for investment, agricultural development, plantations and infrastructure.

"As a growth center in Aceh that is vulnerable to exploitation of its natural resources, it is critical to ensure ecosystem functions are protected and maintained so that water availability, food security, climate resilience and biodiversity sustainability are maintained in the long term," said Program Manager WWF-Indonesia Northern Sumatra Program, Dede Suhendra.

The PJT landscape is rich in biodiversity and abundant natural resource potential. There is the largest mangrove forest in Sumatra, reaching 23 thousand hectares. There is also Lake Laut Tawar which is the largest lake in Aceh. This area is home to rare animals that are currently threatened with extinction such as the Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus), Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris), Sumatran Rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and Orangutan (Pongo abelii).

The four-year SRJS program will strengthen local NGOs and civil society organizations so that they can take on the role of advocating for government and business sector practices that are environmentally sustainable. The program also encourages collaborative and sustainable forest management by promoting local wisdom, public participation, and gender equality.

"The SRJS program in Aceh pays special attention to the balanced involvement of men and women. This program also involves vulnerable groups, namely economically marginalized people," said Dede Suhendra.

In its implementation, the SRJS Aceh program focuses on five strategies, namely encouraging sustainable forest management so as to maintain the existing area of natural forests and mangroves; encouraging oil palm plantation companies and Industrial Plantation Forests to manage High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF) in their concession areas by practicing more responsible methods; encouraging river protection by managing mining activities that are not destructive; encouraging prevention and law enforcement against environmental crimes; and ensuring the reconnection of disconnected animal trails outside the forest area.

For more information, please contact:

• Dede Suhendra, [email protected] WWF-Indonesia Program Manager for Sumbagut HP 085260157070
• Suhaimi Hamid, Chairman of Krueng Peusangan Watershed Forum HP 082360060098
• Surayya Kamarudzaman, Balai Syura Ureung Inong Aceh HP 081360684060