Belantara Program in

Giam Siak Kecil Bukit Batu

Landscape: A Lesson Learned
Dolly Priatna
• Graduate School of Environmental Management, Pakuan University
• Belantara Foundation

FGD Cagar Biosfer & Kolaborasi Multi-Stakeholders

Fakultas Kehutanan, Universitas Tanjungpura
Pontianak, 9 Agustus 2023

belantara.or.id @belantara Belantara Foundation @ belantara_found

Giam Siak – Bukit Batu BR

• The 1st Biosphere Reserve in the

world that has been initiated
and co-managed by private and
public sector
• Covers 705,271 ha of peat that
divides into 25 % of Core Area,
32 % Buffer Zone and 43%
Transition Area
• Dedicated to transform local
communities from subsistence
dependency on natural resources
to other alternative sustainable
livelihood. Transition Area
Core Area Buffer Zone
± 178,722 Ha ± 222,426 Ha ± 304,123 Ha
(25%) (32%) (43%)
 • Giam Siak Kecil Bukit Batu (GSK BB) landscape is
one of the remaining sumatran peatland
ecosystems in Sumatra.
• This landscape is located in Bengkalis and Siak

About •
districts, Riau province, Indonesia.
GSK BB is a mosaic landscape dominated by

Giam Siak
industrial plantations (timber and palm oil), oil and
gas mining, and conservation areas.
• The landscape provides habitat for Sumatran tiger,

Kecil Bukit Sumatran elephant, varieties of primates, birds,

and other wildlife.

Batu
• The area protects and stores high carbon through
its complex hydrology system in swamp peatland
areas.
Problems we are trying to solve
• Forest degradation (encroachment and illegal loggings)
• Forest and land fires
• Biodiversity decline
• Wildlife-human conflicts
• Community livelihood
Belantara Programs in GSK-BB
• Belantara has been working in GSK-BB since 2016.
• We focusing on protection, restoration, and community development
activities.
 Strengthening the biosphere reserve management.
This project is Belantara contribution on maintaining the
biosphere reserve status in GSK-BB.
Activities:
• Facilitated coordination and collaboration among
stakeholders within the landscape.
• Supported periodic review to extend the biosphere
reserve status.
PROTECTION • Conducted focus group discussions, field surveys, desk
studies, and consulted key stakeholders to develop
strong leadership as management of biosphere reserve.

Through this program, we are able to help maintain the

biosphere reserve status of GSK-BB designated by
UNESCO and successful in getting support through
governor’s and districts’ decrees.
PROTECTION
Protecting the elephant and its habitat.
Activities:
• Supported local NGOs to conserve Sumatran
elephants and protect its habitat.
• Helped develop and provided capacity building for 6
community groups to mitigate human-elephant
conflict.
• Built 4 monitoring towers.
• Conducted awareness activities in 7 primary schools.
• Conducted conflict mitigation patrols covering more
than 88,000 hectares.
PROTECTION

Providing Capacity Building on

Environmental Law.
Activities:
• Helped provide capacity building on
environmental law to local NGOs
and communities.
• Installed 45 signboards that
informed forest fire hazard,
prohibition of forest fires, and
prohibition of illegal logging.
RESTORATION
Restoring the Degraded Peatland Forest in GSK-BB.
Through this on-going project, we are restoring the degraded
peatland at the Giam Siak Kecil - Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve.
Activities:
• Tree planting, maintenance, and protection.
• We will plant native and endangered tree species to support
Indonesia's effort to conserve the species.
• This initiative is part of our effort to support Indonesia to
conserve rare tree species, restore peatland forest, and
mark our contribution to the Sustainable Development
Goals 13 - Climate Action, 15 - Life on Land, and 17 -
Partnership for the Goals.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
Developing Ecotourism of Bungaraya.
Activities:
• Facilitated development of ecotourism grand
design and provided capacity building for 5
tourism community groups.
• Assisted the community to develop local
products such as smoked fish and built a
production house to support the communities.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
Developing Community Livelihood.
Belantara supports local communities to
develop alternative livelihoods.
Activities:
• Provided capacity building for developing
honey cultivation and cassava cultivation.
The local communities have successfully
produced honey and cassava, as well as market
the products to customers.
Giam Siak Peatland
Research Center
• Long term research in peatland ecosystem
• Capacity program for local universities
through:
⚬ Small research grant,
⚬ Internship, and
⚬ Belantara Learning Series
 Forest Protection & Restoration through Collaboration
between Government, Private Sectors, and Communities.
Belantara Foundation is using collaborative and adaptive management approach through:

Developing consensual agreement

1 between stakeholders 4 Collaborative planning

Developing multi-stakeholders forum Collaborative implementation with

2 through landscape forum 5 intensive facilitation

Collaborative monitoring and

3 Strengthening governance capacity 6 evaluating
Program Impact
Reduction of percentage of annual
deforestation rate in GSKBB Biosphere Reserve
Percentage of Deforestation Rate Per Year
Deforestation rate in each zones of GSBB biosphere reserve
in GSKBB Biosphere Reserve Zones
significantly reduced between the period of 2019-2014 and 2014-
2020. 14,35%
14,0%

12,0%
Reduction of percentage of deforestation rate in:
• Core zone à 1,49% in 2009-2014 to 0,07% in 2014-2020 10,0%
8,14%
• Buffer zone à 8.14% in 2009-2014 to 1.8% in 2014-2020 8,0%

• Transition zone à 14.35% in 2009-2014 to 3.58% in 2014-2020 6,0%

4,0% 3,58%

2,0% 1,49% 1,80%

0,07%
0,0%
2009-2014 2014-2020
Core Zone Buffer Zone Transition Zone
Lesson learned
• Stakeholders’ commitment (particularly private sectors) to protect and
conserve the landscape can bring huge positive impact.
• Program preparation is crucial (problem identification, baseline data,
community participation, etc.)
• Stakeholders’ collaboration to ensure sustainability.
• Long term capacity building and village facilitators are needed.
• Revolving fund or investment instead of full grants.
• Beneficiaries' identification.
• Connect to product market to ensure sustainability.
• Sustainability of the program.
belantara.or.id @belantara Belantara Foundation @ belantara_found

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