Hutan Harapan

Protecting and restoring forests for future needs

With an area of about 100,000 hectares, Hutan Harapan - Indonesian for "Forest of Hope" - comprises Sumatra's last large lowland rainforest on mineral soil. It is one of the last refuges for numerous endangered species, such as Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants and rhinoceros hornbills. In addition, the forest’s countless ecosystem functions secure the livelihood of the indigenous Batin Sembilan and other local population groups.

However, Hutan Harapan is facing enormous pressure from surrounding land use. Deforestation for infrastructure projects, plantations and arable land threaten the precious forest. Additionally, illegally set forest fires and prolonged dry seasons fuelled by the global climate crisis aggravate the situation. It is therefore crucial to ensure the long-term preservation and restoration of the forest and its ecosystem functions.

Together with the local population and its partners, Burung Indonesia, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), BirdLife International and KfW Entwicklungsbank, NABU has been working since 2007 to protect and restore this valuable lowland rainforest. In this way, the project makes an important contribution to the current UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. The project is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).

The main focus of our work

Protecting biodiversity

Hutan Harapan is located in the global biodiversity hotspot Sundaland, which is characterised by a particularly high, but unfortunately also highly threatened biodiversity. More than 1100 animal and plant species have already been systematically recorded here, including over 300 bird species and more than 60 mammal, 70 reptile and 60 amphibian species. Monitoring of the flora and fauna aims to further explore the biodiversity of the region and to systematically track selected species in order to measure and improve the effectiveness of conservation measures.

Cooperation with local communities

Close cooperation with local population groups, such as the indigenous Batin Sembilan, is indispensable for the long-term protection of the rainforest and aims, among other goals, at empowerment and the development of sustainable sources of income. Furthermore, access to education and health facilities, which is financed by the project, also plays an important role.

Preserving an important carbon sink

In the fight against the global climate crisis, the protection of intact rainforests like Hutan Harapan is indispensable. Through regular patrols in close cooperation with local authorities, illegal logging and land grabbing are counteracted. In addition, degraded areas are protected to allow for natural regeneration. If necessary, this process is supported by targeted planting of native seedlings.

The project components in detail

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