[ad_1]
- A good portion of orangutan habitat in Indonesia lies inside company concessions, however industrial tree firms, like pulp and paper, don’t have sturdy sufficient safeguards and dedication to guard the critically endangered apes, a brand new report says.
- Based on the report by Aidenvironment, there are 6.22 million hectares (15.37 million acres) of orangutan habitat inside company oil palm, logging, and industrial tree concessions.
- Of the three kinds of concessions, industrial tree firms are the “key stakeholder” as they function with a lot much less transparency and scrutiny than the palm oil sector, Aidenvironment says.
JAKARTA — The overwhelming majority of orangutan habitat in Indonesia is positioned outdoors of protected areas. That may be unhealthy information for orangutans dwelling in company concessions, the place a brand new report finds many firms lack safeguards and commitments to guard these critically endangered apes.
The report, by Amsterdam-based sustainability consultancy Aidenvironment, discovered that Indonesia has 14.1 million hectares (34.8 million acres) of forested habitat appropriate for orangutans. Solely 1 / 4 of that, or 3.46 million hectares (8.55 million acres), falls throughout the boundaries of protected areas resembling nationwide parks, nature reserves, recreation reserves and guarded forests.
In the meantime, nearly double this quantity, 6.22 million hectares (15.37 million acres), lies inside company oil palm, logging, and industrial tree concessions, based on the evaluation. This discovering comes from overlaying Aidenvironment’s concession knowledge with knowledge on orangutan habitats derived from the orangutan inhabitants and habitat viability evaluation (PHVA) carried out by the Indonesian authorities.
Aidenvironment identified that simply because there’s orangutan habitat in a company concession, it doesn’t essentially imply there are orangutans nonetheless dwelling within the concession.
Nonetheless, primarily based on observations, orangutans are sometimes discovered inside areas with human actions, as an alternative of in major pure forests with no disturbance, based on Belinda Arunarwati Margono, the Indonesian atmosphere ministry’s director of forest useful resource monitoring.
“What’s fascinating is that they don’t solely stay in [undisturbed forests]. They stay in every single place,” she mentioned at a web based press convention. “So orangutans prefer to be near us, their distant kinfolk. They prefer to be in disturbed areas.”
Aidenvironment famous that if there are orangutans in a concession, it doesn’t essentially imply they’re liable to being captured and killed.
“Nonetheless, on the whole, the ever-decreasing forest patches they’re being confined to on account of company concessions means it’s tougher for orangutans to outlive in these landscapes,” Aidenvironment mentioned.
Industrial tree plantations the ‘key stakeholder’
The examine’s findings are in keeping with a 2021 evaluation by the U.S.-based Environmental Investigation Company (EIA), which additionally confirmed that orangutan habitat in Sumatra and Kalimantan (the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo) covers hundreds of thousands of hectares of oil palm, pulpwood and logging plots.
Orangutan habitat happens in 898,652 hectares (2.22 million acres) of commercial tree plantations, based on Aidenvironment, whereas 4.76 million hectares (11.76 million acres) overlap with selective logging concessions. Oil palm concessions host 563,282 hectares (1.39 million acres).
Industrial tree firms function with a lot much less transparency and scrutiny than the palm oil sector. And whereas they cowl a smaller space of habitat than selective logging concessions, industrial tree plantations — by the very nature of their operations, which contain clearing huge swaths of forest — are what Aidenviroment calls “the important thing stakeholder.” It says this implies extra focus must be put into conserving orangutan habitat in industrial tree concessions, the place bushes are grown and lower to provide paper and textile fibers, in addition to for timber and wooden chips.
Of the 21 largest oil palm growers in Indonesia, 16 have adopted the so-called NDPE coverage, which commits them to zero deforestation, no peatland growth, and no exploitation of communities and staff. On the similar time, the examine discovered that solely three of Indonesia’s 21 largest industrial tree growers have sustainability commitments which can be near palm oil NDPE insurance policies: Sinar Mas, Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) and Marubeni.
Even then, the sustainability commitments of firms like Sinar Mas and RGE nonetheless permit the planting of commercial bushes, like acacia, on peatlands, albeit non-forested ones, Aidenvironment mentioned.
In contrast, palm oil NDPE insurance policies forbid any growth of peat areas, whether or not nonetheless forested or not.
Aidenvironment additionally identified that industrial tree concessions will also be cleared of native vegetation, in contrast to logging concessions.
However, the adoption of sustainability insurance policies amongst pulpwood producers has contributed to a decline in deforestation inside industrial tree concessions.
Deforestation fell by 85% within the 2015-2019 interval in comparison with 2010-2012 contained in the 91 concessions supplying wooden fiber to Indonesian pulp mills belonging to Sinar Mas, RGE, and Marubeni — all which have made public commitments to finish deforestation of their provide chains. That’s based on a 2021 examine by Trase, a transparency initiative that maps deforestation in commodities provide chains.
Whereas there’s been some progress on curbing deforestation, clearing nonetheless continues within the industrial tree sector. Aidenvironment recognized 5 industrial tree firms that had been accountable for 13,000 hectares (32,100 acres) of deforestation in Indonesia in 2020, and 4 in 2021 that cleared 11,000 hectares (27,181 acres) of forest, peat forest and peat.
High three concession holders — and deforesters
Aidenvironment highlighted three industrial key concessions with the most important areas of orangutan habitat. They’re PT Mayawana Persada within the Mendawak habitat unit of the Kubu Raya panorama in West Kalimantan province; PT Industrial Forest Plantation within the Sungai Murui Hulu habitat unit of the Kahayan-Kapuas panorama in Central Kalimantan; and PT Taiyoung Engreen within the Rungan Timur habitat unit of the Rungan River panorama in Central Kalimantan.
All three concession holders are additionally among the many largest deforesters within the industrial tree sector.
Of the three landscapes, the Rungan River has one of the best further knowledge and proof of a viable orangutan inhabitants, with between 2,220 and three,275 orangutans recognized within the space.
The massive variety of people within the panorama means the Rungan River is house to one of many largest unprotected populations of orangutans on the earth.
Of the 147,357 hectares (364,127 acres) of forested orangutan habitat within the Rungan River, 41,609 hectares (102,818 acres), or 28%, are within the industrial tree concession of PT Taiyoung Engreen. The corporate is a three way partnership between South Korea’s Taiyoung World Co. Ltd. (which holds a 40% stake) and the Indonesian firm Jhonlin (30%).
Based on Aidenvironment’s evaluation, deforestation has been ongoing in Taiyoung’s concession for years, with 3,510 hectares (8,673 acres) of deforestation detected since 2018, 1 / 4 of it in 2021 alone.
Aidenvironment mentioned the deforestation is sort of solely inside orangutan habitat.
Extra areas of orangutan habitat are prone to be cleared in the identical concession, Aidenvironment mentioned.
It is because neither Jhonlin nor Taiyoung have sturdy sustainability insurance policies. Jhonlin lately moved into Indonesia’s home biofuel sector, which has weaker sustainability requirements than the NDPE market.
Aidenvironment additionally famous that Jhonlin has a monitor document of clearing rainforests and peatlands in addition to being embroiled in quite a few disputes with native communities over land, labor, and human rights violations.
Kahayan
The Kahayan-Kapuas panorama, additionally in Central Kalimantan, has a bigger orangutan habitat than the Rungan River, spanning nearly 400,000 hectares (988,400 acres), however probably has fewer orangutans, with a inhabitants estimated at between 1,065 and a couple of,300 people. Many of the forests within the panorama are peat swamp.
PT Industrial Forest Plantation is the important thing concession holder within the panorama.
Some 52,125 hectares (128,803 acres), or greater than half of its concession, is forested orangutan habitat. The concession can be the scene of ongoing deforestation, with 9,673 hectares (23,902 acres) of forests having been cleared since 2018, largely in a strip operating by the middle of the concession.
It’s not recognized what number of orangutans stay in IFP’s concession, however a 2014 evaluation recognized the existence of orangutans and different protected natural world contained in the concession boundaries.
The Aidenvironment report additionally recognized different industrial tree concessions working contained in the orangutan habitat within the Kahayan-Kapuas panorama, together with PT Nusantara Fiber, PT Kalteng Inexperienced Assets, PT Bumi Hijau Prima, PT Bumi Agro Prima, PT Ramang Agro Lestari, and PT Hutan Produksi Lestari.
Regardless of the panorama having a big orangutan habitat with many industrial tree concessions working inside it, there aren’t any recognized conservation organizations working within the panorama. Surveys are badly wanted within the panorama to develop related conservation interventions, based on Aidenvironment, which recognized two areas within the panorama appropriate for conservation.
The primary one is a tract of forest that overlaps with the concessions held by Kalteng Inexperienced Assets and Industrial Forest Plantation, each of which include a lot of the remaining forest throughout the panorama. Aidenvironment mentioned the 23,000 hectares (56,800 acres) in these concessions, adjoining to one another, may very well be used to create a central undisturbed block for orangutan conservation.
“The central block of forest remains to be in good situation and isn’t intersected by roads or rivers, permitting unfettered motion for orangutans,” Aidenvironment mentioned within the report.
The second proposed space is round 7,500 hectares (18,500 acres) of forested orangutan habitat that’s surrounded by two roads, a river to the north, and huge quantities of cleared land inside Industrial Forest Plantation’s concession to the southeast.
Kubu Raya
The third panorama highlighted within the report is the Kubu Raya panorama in West Kalimantan province, which covers an space of 284,481 hectares (702,968 acres), the place not less than 1,348 orangutans stay.
Many of the panorama right here is forested orangutan habitat, estimated by Aidenvironment to be at 223,014 hectares (551,080 acres). That is greater than double the quantity of forested habitat in Gunung Palung Nationwide Park, positioned simply south of the Kubu Raya panorama.
Whereas civil society organizations have made high-profile efforts to preserve orangutan habitat throughout the park itself, the Kubu Raya panorama has acquired little consideration, with only one conservation space, the 20,000-hectare (49,400-acre) Mendawak Protected Forest, mendacity inside it.
However Mendawak has been closely impacted by unlawful logging, and there’s additionally conflicting details about whether or not the realm is house to any orangutans.
Based on Aidenvironment, subject surveys performed by WWF Indonesia in 2020 discovered indications that orangutans stay within the space. “[However] from Aidenvironment’s personal engagement within the space, we imagine that there aren’t any orangutans throughout the Mendawak Protected Forest,” Aidenvironment mentioned.
The remainder of the panorama is roofed nearly solely by eight company concessions.
The one with essentially the most remaining forested orangutan habitat is the 137,000-hectare (338,500-acre) concession held by PT Mayawana Persada, which comprises 68,776 hectares (169,949 acres) of forested orangutan habitat.
Based on Aidenvironment’s evaluation, the orangutan habitat inside Mayawana Persada’s concession is beneath menace as there’s little to no info concerning conservation exercise by the corporate.
“Particularly, it’s unclear what number of orangutans are current inside PT Mayawana Persada, how a lot forest is designated for clearing and for cover, or whether or not the corporate has insurance policies in place to guard orangutans,” Aidenvironment mentioned.
The newest Indonesian government-instigated audit of the corporate in 2021, as an illustration, makes no point out of orangutans or firm insurance policies pertaining to orangutans.
Mayawana Persada is actively clearing forests to make method for industrial plantations, with 8,852 hectares (21,873 acres) of forest cleared between 2018 and 2021, Aidenvironment mentioned. A small a part of this was attributable to third-party bauxite mining.
Many of the deforestation occurred final yr, with 5,250 hectares (13,000 acres) of forest loss, indicating a rise in exercise, Aidenvironment mentioned.
“This demonstrates how beneath menace orangutans are on this space, and why PT Mayawana Persada ought to cease clearing instantly and conduct orangutan surveys of their concession,” Aidenvironment mentioned. “Primarily based on present accessible proof the orangutan habitat, and orangutans it might include, inside this concession seem like beneath important menace.”
Mayawana Persada has beforehand denied the allegation that it has been clearing orangutan habitat inside its concession.
“There’s no deforestation exercise in orangutan’s habitat by PT Mayawana Persada,” the corporate instructed Mongabay in an e-mail dated Could 2021. “This may be seen from the corporate’s working map and the corporate’s actions on the bottom, which have taken under consideration the outcomes of research on orangutan and excessive conservation values areas.”
Mayawana Persada mentioned the research had been executed by a consultancy referred to as Ecology and Conservation Middle for Tropical Research (Ecositrop).
“The research had been to reduce the impression of the economic forest plantation on the orangutan inhabitants in PT Mayawana Persada’s concession,” the corporate mentioned.
Nonetheless, satellite tv for pc and drone evaluation by Aidenvironment exhibits excessive conservation worth (HCV) areas have been cleared.
To protect the remaining orangutan habitat throughout the Mendawak Protected Forest, Aidenvironment mentioned there are two areas the place conservation ought to be prioritized. The primary one is a steady stretch of forest between the concession of PT Daya Tani Kalbar and the protected forest that passes by three different concessions, held by Sumitomo Forestry. This space covers roughly 36,000 hectares (89,000 acres).
The second is a 38,000-hectare (93,900-acre) forest that stretches from the coastal areas on the outskirts of Mayawana Persada till the skinny strip of forest that lies between Mayawana Persada’s and Daya Tani Kalbar’s concessions.
Connecting fragmented habitats
When requested whether or not the federal government’s forest safety insurance policies, notably a everlasting moratorium on the clearance of major forests and peatlands, may defend orangutan habitat as properly, the atmosphere ministry’s Belinda mentioned the moratorium wasn’t particularly designed to preserve orangutan habitat.
Nonetheless, if a forest space has protected standing or is zoned for conservation, it’s routinely protected beneath the moratorium coverage, although the realm may not be forested, she added.
“So we design in order that not less than major forests and peatlands are protected, whereas the perform of conservation and safety is maintained [through the moratorium policy],” Belinda mentioned.
There are different insurance policies that might defend forests and subsequently orangutan habitat as properly, such because the social forestry program, she added. This program goals to reallocate state forest to native communities and provides them the authorized standing to handle the forests.
Among the group titles beneath the social forestry applications are designed with forest conservation in thoughts, primarily based on the concept that forests which can be managed by communities will probably be higher protected and extra sustainably managed.
“So what’s vital is to attach the community [of orangutan habitat] and to reduce fragmented forest, however indirectly by the forest moratorium coverage itself,” Belinda mentioned.
The EIA mentioned it’s not sufficient for the moratorium coverage to solely defend major forests and peatlands as orangutans additionally stay in secondary forests and forest fragments. A 2021 examine, drawing on a number of many years of floor and aerial surveys in Borneo, discovered that some orangutans are adapting to the presence of oil palm plantations.
However this doesn’t imply that orangutans can cope properly with large alterations to their habitat and don’t want forest to outlive, the researchers of the examine mentioned. They discovered that orangutans are in a position to survive in and amongst plantations solely after they have entry to small fragments of standing forest close by.
Conservation teams just like the EIA have referred to as on the Indonesian authorities to position orangutan habitat, regardless of the place they’re, beneath formal safety by together with them throughout the everlasting forest moratorium space.
The necessity for a extra strong technique in defending orangutan habitat has grown much more pressing now as latest developments in Indonesian insurance policies — such because the latest expiration of a moratorium on new oil palm concessions and the deregulation of environmental protections ushered in by controversial laws handed in 2020 — put orangutan habitat at larger dangers, based on the EIA.
“The confluence of threats going through orangutans is nothing in need of a disaster,” Taylor Tench, EIA coverage analyst, mentioned in a press launch.
Citations:
Wiggs, C., & Cunningham, J. (2022). Orangutan landscapes in danger: The position of commercial tree concessions in defending key forest habitat. Aidenvironment, Amsterdam. Retrieved from https://aidenvironment.org/publications/orangutan-habitat-forest/
Environmental Investigation Company. (2021). Orangutans in disaster. Washington, D.C./London. Retrieved from https://us.eia.org/report/20211029-orangutans-in-crisis-report
Ancrenaz, M., Oram, F., Nardiyono, N., Silmi, M., Jopony, M., Voigt, M., … Meijaard, E. (2021). Significance of small forest fragments in agricultural landscapes for sustaining orangutan metapopulations. Frontiers in Forests and World Change. doi:10.3389/ffgc.2021.560944
FEEDBACK: Use this way to ship a message to the writer of this publish. If you wish to publish a public remark, you are able to do that on the backside of the web page.
Banner picture: A younger orangutan in Indonesian Borneo’s Tanjung Puting Nationwide Park. Picture by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.
Article printed by Hayat
[ad_2]
Source link
