IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Sumatra’s historic agreement in Barcelona

09 October 2008 | News story

The Indonesian government and WWF today announced a bold commitment to protect the remaining forests and critical ecosystems of Sumatra today at IUCN’s World Conservation Congress.

Sumatra is an Indonesian island that holds some of the world’s most diverse – and endangered – forests.

The commitment announced today has been endorsed by governors of all provinces across Sumatra, and by four Ministers.

Hermien Roosita, Deputy Minister of Environment, says this is the first island wide commitment. “This agreement commits all the Governors of Sumatra’s 10 provinces, along with the Indonesian Ministries of Forestry, Environment, Interior and Public World, to restore critical ecosystems in Sumatra and protect areas with high conservation values,” he said.

“The Governors will now work together to develop ecosystem-based spatial plans that will serve as the basis for future development on the island.”

More than 13 percent of Sumatra’s remaining forests are peat forests, which sit atop the deepest peat soil in the world. Clearing these forests is a major source of carbon emissions that cause climate change.

Sumatra is the only place in the world where tigers, elephants, rhino and orangutans co-exist.

Noor Hidayat, Director of Conservation Areas at the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, says a partnership approach is needed to ensure the effectiveness of the commitment. “There are a lot of challenges in the future to ensure successful implementation of the commitment,” he said.

“A broad-based effort involving local and national government officials, financial institutions, NGOs, and communities need to work together to make this commitment a reality.”