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Save the Sumatran rainforest |
The local communities
Traditionally, indigenous people of the area gathered rainforest products such as rattan, resins and honey for their own use and for trade. They fished in the many rivers that criss-cross the rainforest and have conventionally followed a type of shifting cultivation that, at low rates of population density, had little long-term impact on the forest. Small patches of forest would be burnt, the soil cultivated for a while before the community moved to another patch, leaving the vegetation to re-grow. Unbearable pressuresIn the past 20 years, however, the pressures upon these communities have become unbearable. The loss of forests and the expansion of timber and oil palm plantations have robbed the people of their resource base. Few indigenous people in central Sumatra are now able to follow their former way of life. Preventing community displacement in Harapan RainforestAbout eight indigenous family groups live in Harapan Rainforest. They belong to an ethnic group called the Batin Sembilan. If Burung Indonesia, the RSPB and BirdLife International had not intervened to have Harapan Rainforest designated for ecosystem restoration, it would most likely have been converted to agricultural or industrial tree plantations, and the families displaced. 'Had BirdLife not intervened to have Harapan Rainforest designated by the government for ecosystem restoration, the area would have been logged' Forest-dependent communities often find it difficult to benefit from plantation developments; the need to respond to seasonal income-earning opportunities in the forest – the fruiting season, for example – mean that it is often difficult for them to hold down full time jobs, and in some cases they are not used to permanent employment. These communities may also be less well educated than outsiders, to whom most of the jobs go. Harapan Rainforest provides hope that the Batin Sembilan can maintain aspects of their forest-based lifestyles. The challenge is to enable them to sustain their wellbeing and develop economic opportunities – while supporting wildlife conservation goals. We will explore the possibility of offering long-term employment in a research station and in ecotourism, as well as in day-to-day forest management. Last modified: 03 September 2007 |
Related websites |
Misty forest canopy in Sumatra - (BirdLife International)
Rhinoceros hornbill, face on - Terry Whittaker/FLPA (FLPA)
Sumatran tiger - Dave Watts
Bird illustrations by Mike Langman (RSPB)