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Unfortunately, unsustainable trade by rural communities living alongside protected areas, as well as lack of regulation, enforcement, and capacity in dealing with land violations and illegal land use activities are driving the increasing loss of species and their habitats in the forests.
Recognising the relationship between socio-economic inequalities in rural communities and impact to the environment, Planet Indonesia has risen to the challenge of creating a conservation model that empowers the local community to protect biodiversity while tackling socio-economic injustices. By adopting an integrated conservation approach, the organisation aims to directly reduce inequalities in rural communities by providing community-based services in business, education and health for the protection and restoration of ecosystems while working with government agencies to provide law enforcement and judiciary support against the illegal wildlife trade.
One of the key aspects Mandai Nature works with Planet Indonesia on is supporting the community-based SMART patrol teams at the Gunung Niut Nature Reserve. Data collected from these forest patrols help inform government agencies to target areas that show the highest threats of illegal activity within the reserve. This community-led approach has shown promising results – primary rainforest loss has dropped by 56 per cent and total tree cover loss has reduced by 77 per cent. In addition, there is increasing evidence of wildlife spotting with observations of increasing active pairs of Helmeted Hornbills recorded in Gunung Niet Nature Reserve compared to the entire island of Borneo.
Mandai Nature also contributed to the construction of the Wat Gatak Songbird Rescue Centre, the first such facility in Kalimantan to support the welfare, rehabilitation and release of rescued songbirds.
Planet Indonesia is an organisation in the United States that partners with its Indonesian-based non-profit branch, Yayasan Planet Indonesia. It provides community-based services to reduce socio-economic inequalities in rural communities. The international team promotes cultural identity and sustainable resource management to build resilient communities through catalysing conservation at the grassroots level. Planet Indonesia was named a winner of the 2017 United Nations Development Program Equator Initiative for advancing nature-based local solutions for sustainable development.
