Indonesia: Mangrove and Peat Swamp Forest restoration
Problems
- Total deforestation of mangroves on the north coast of Java as
a result of unsustainable aquaculture, causing loss of biodiversity
and environmental services (90% of Java's mangroves have disappeared)
and leading to increased poverty and environmental degradation.
- Mangrove forests and other useful wetland habitats were also
destroyed in Atjeh, northern Sumatra, as a result of the devastating
tsunami of December 2004. The Bio-rights experience gained in Java
since 2003 was used to work with local communities in the recovery
of their livelihoods involving active restoration of the important
coastal wetland resources.
- Peatswamp forests in Indonesia are a threatened habitat as a
result unsustainable development. Their degradation has resulted
in some of the largest environmental disasters of our time. In 1997
1,5 - 2,2 million ha burned, especially in Kalimantan & Sumatra,
resulting in a carbon emission of 1 - 2,5 gigaton - equivalent to
15-40% annual global emission of fossil fuels (Page et al. 2002).
Similar fire events have happened also in previous El Niño
years, e.g. 982/83, 1990, and this had a significant impact on public
health as well as serious economic impacts. Poverty in peatland
regions is 2 to 4 times higher than elsewhere in Indonesia.
Approach
The approach to address these poverty-environment issues involved
consultation and cooperation with local communities by providing
access to micro credits for agricultural and other economic developments
linked to environmental management schemes. On the north coast of
Java and in Atjeh access to micro-credits was linked to mangrove
restoration schemes as well as rehabilitation of other coastal wetland
habitats. In Jambi province and Central Kalimantan micro-credits
for agricultural development were linked to peat swamp forest restoration
schemes. The micro-credits were provided on basis of a contract.
As the funding was derived from donations of international donors,
these contracts could in effect be considered business contracts
between the global community and the local communities.
 |
| Bio-rights mangrove replanting in coastal
zone of Pemalang, Java |
The business deal involved the requirement to replant one 1 mangrove
or peat swamp forest tree per Rp 1000 (or equivalent of US$ 0.10).
This means that a micro-credit of Rp 1.000.000 (US$ 100) invested
in e.g. goat farming would result in 1000 trees planted.
The replanting of the forests in effect constituted payments of
interest over the micro-credit.
The business deal also stipulated that if 70% of the trees would
survive the first 3 years the micro-credit would become a grant;
i.e. the loan would have been fully paid back through provision
of successful environmental services.
Results
This approach resulted in all cases in increased productivity from
farming as well as restoration of thousands of hectares of mangrove
and peat swamp forest areas. In Atjeh the approach appeared to be
more successful than other coastal restoration schemes, mainly as
a result of the after-care provided by communities after planting.
Other organisations that worked with grants were markedly less successful.
 |
| Bio-rights in action in degraded peatswamp forests of Central
Kalimantan |
The approach empowers local communities in choosing to invest in their
own development priorities. The Bio-rights approach provides a double
incentive to the communities to restore their environment: First of
all by providing access to credits and secondly by enabling payments
of interest and repayment of the loan itself through delivery of environmental
services.
The same approach is now used also for the rehabilitation of bufferzones
of protected areas and planting of boundary marking vegetations.
By using useful tree species, extra incentives can be provided in
case communities can be provided with tenure and resource use rights
over the replanted areas.
Next steps
New schemes are being developed in which sustainable financing mechanisms
are being established for longer-term Bio-rights actions in Central
Kalimantan and Jambi provinces.
|
