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THE LEUSER INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
AND
THE ACEH FOREST AND ENVIRONMENT PROJECT (AFEP)
'By Conserving Forests we Protect Life'
BACKGROUND
The earthquake and tsunami of December 2004 devastated Aceh's
society, economy, infrastructure, and institutions, especially
on the province's west and north coasts. Along this narrow
coastal belt, communities and agricultural lands lie directly
adjacent to protected forests flanking spectacular mountain
ranges. These forested areas include the Leuser Ecosystem in the
south, and the Ulu Masen Forest Complex in the north. Even
within Indonesia - a recognised mega-diversity country - the
forests of Aceh are unique, comprising the largest remaining
contiguous forested area (3.3 million ha) with the richest
assemblage of biodiversity in South East Asia, including tigers,
elephants, rhinos, orangutans and the unique Rafflesia flower.
Fortunately many Acehnese are proud of their magnificent forests
and wish to see them preserved. These forests must be conserved
not only for their intrinsic and cultural values but also
because they provide essential life-supporting ecological
services that will sustain Aceh's recovery, development and
future prosperity.
Life-supporting ecological services provided by Aceh's forests
1. Domestic, agricultural and industrial water supplies for
millions of Acehnese.
2. Environmental security through natural disaster (flood,
landslide, drought) mitigation.
3. Healthy river fisheries support local economies and provide a
significant source of protein.
4. Rich biodiversity serving as a mega gene pool with potential
applications for the socio-economic advancement of the region.
5. Local and global climate regulation.
6. Carbon sequestration
With the effective conservation and improved legal status of
these forest areas, AFEP aims to create and sustain the largest
biodiversity corridor in South East Asia.
Through the inception of the Aceh Forest and Environment Project
(AFEP) both the Indonesian Government and the international
community have acknowledged the high value of Aceh's forests.
Recognising that poorly planned infrastructure development and
the demand for reconstruction building materials has the
potential to cause irreversable damage to these forests, it is
the goal of AFEP to ensure that environmental concerns are
integrated into Aceh's planning and reconstruction processes.
The LIF received a grant from the Multi Donor Fund (MDF)
totaling US$ 9.81 million in order to implement AFEP activities
in the Leuser Ecosystem area. The project will run for a period
of 4.5 years, ending in December 2010.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Primary objectives of AFEP
1. Mitigating the negative environmental impacts of
reconstruction activities on Aceh's forests.
2. Improving the livelihoods of millions of Acehnese by ensuring
that forest ecosystem services are maintained, supporting
Aceh's future social and economic development.
3. Building the capacities of Government forest management
institutions.
4. Developing the basis for a conservation economy through
sustainable financing solutions.
ACTIVITIES
AFEP Activities - Focusing on People for Conservation Results
AFEP is a multi-purpose project and activities are organised
under three components. This structure improves the project's
efficiency and effectiveness by providing the guidance necessary
to ensure that activities being implemented are consistent with
the goals of AFEP and can be more easily assessed according to
their intended purpose.
Component 1. Effective Protection and Sustainable Management
of the Leuser Ecosystem
1.A Broad-based Multi-Stakeholder Council (MSC) has been
envisaged for establishing the working relationships with key
institutions and to build local constituencies as a foundation
to improve forest protection. This institution will also be
responsible for implementing various conservation related
activities.
2.Integrated Monitoring through a Three-Tiered Satellite, Air
and Ground System ensures that the forests of Aceh are
comprehensively surveyed. Optical and RADAR Satellite Imagery is
being used to map the current extent of forest cover in Aceh and
also to measure the rate of forest cover loss over the years -
ultimately this will be one of the tools used to measure the
project's success. Micro-light Aircraft are being deployed to
provide quick response capabilities and to ensure that no
illegal activities (logging, road building, forest clearance for
plantation expansion, etc.) will go undetected. Approximately
120 LIF staff do the Ground Patrolling, forming the backbone of
the monitoring program, they include Community Monitoring Teams
(CMT), whose members are from local communities, and Mobile
Patrol Units (MPU) that provide further flexibility to the
monitoring effort. These patrol teams are able to gather
detailed information from the field and follow-up on reports of
illegal activities anywhere in the Leuser Ecosystem. The
information gathered through this three-tiered monitoring method
will be provided to the appropriate Government conservation
agencies for effective and timely management interventions and
policy decisions.
3. Building the Capacity of Government Forest Management
Institutions is a key part of AFEP's strategy to ensure the
effective long-term management of Aceh's forests. By hosting
workshops, providing technical support, goods in kind and
up-to-date information from the field (with particular inputs to
control illegal logging) the LIF is committed to working
together with, and improving the capabilities of, relevant
Government institutions.
4. AFEP facilitates the Collaborative Monitoring of Forests. The
project actively supports the Government of Indonesia (GoI),
Government of Aceh (GoA) and other civil society organisations
to cooperate for better forest protection and conservation
management outcomes. Through regular meetings AFEP is
encouraging cooperation amongst these groups, and is also
providing a forum for the sharing of information.
5. By Developing Sustainable Forest and Ecosystem Management
Institutions through a participatory process the project will
facilitate the zonation of forest areas, secure proper legal
status for protected forests and develop appropriate
conservation and management models. Local stakeholder
participation is critical for the development of management
plans and will provide the foundation for the integrated
conservation and management of the area.
6. A Forest Health Monitoring Program is being developed
to assist responsible government agencies with various
scientific surveys and feasibility studies. Special biodiversity
teams have been created to collect baseline data within the
Leuser Ecosystem area.
7. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop Conservation
Management Institutions with Sustainable Financing. A
Multi-stake holder protected area management institution at the
provincial level and a similar structure at the district level
will be established and empowered with the government authority
required to manage designated areas in Aceh.
Component 2. Integration of Environmental Concerns into Aceh
's Reconstruction and Development Planning
1. By participating in the Spatial Plan Development process at
both the provincial and district levels, the LIF is ensuring
that environmental considerations are being incorporated into
the reconstruction and development of Aceh. The project will
provide technical support to the spatial planning agencies at
provincial and district levels. By securing protection for the
forests in Aceh's official spatial plans, the LIF is ensuring
that inappropriate developments will not be permitted to destroy
the ecological services that support the livelihoods of millions
of Acehnese. Efforts are being made to gain recognition for the
Leuser Ecosystem as an area of 'Strategic National Importance'
within national, provincial, and district level spatial plans. A
further challenge being undertaken by the LIF, together with
various government agencies, is to ensure that conservation
areas protected by the provincial spatial plan are not affected
by inappropriate development projects.
2.The LIF is developing innovative Environmental Education and
Awareness Programs, including comic books, textbooks, monthly
bulletins, school-based Green Clubs, and teacher-training
programs. Increasing the level of general awareness about the
forest's life-support functions, economic value and unique
biodiversity is critical to gaining widespread support for their
conservation. The LIF has developed a range of environmental
workbooks (one for every school year) that have been officially
accepted as supplementary curriculum material and a
teacher-training course is equipping teachers with the skills to
supervise their use. The LIF-produced comic book series
'Anak-anak Leuser' has proven such a hit that further editions
will be published and distributed to young and old alike. 200
Green Clubs are to be established at schools throughout the
Leuser Ecosystem area in order to encourage school children to
actively participate in conservation activities. A new-look
'Buletin Leuser' provides monthly updates about AFEP activities
and other important events.
3.Land Rehabilitation and Conservation-Livelihood Linkage
activities undertaken by the LIF are protecting ecosystem
functions and improving livelihoods. 3000 hectares of degraded
land will be rehabilitated by the LIF during the term of AFEP.
The LIF embraces the 'Community-Based Conservation and Land
Management' approach, encouraging communities to take
responsibility for the protection of natural forests and to
rehabilitate degraded land. This community-based method
acknowledges local people as equal partners in the development
of their land and the management of protected forests. AFEP will
assist communities that are actively involved in the
regeneration of degraded land to develop small-scale enterprises
and other initiatives to increase the value of the end produce.
With this approach to conservation and land management the LIF
is providing the means for communities to sustain their
livelihoods whilst gaining conservation outcomes for protected
forests.
Component 3. Effective and Transparent Project Implementation
Support
The LIF has adopted rigid governance, liaison, and reporting
procedures to ensure project accountability and transparency.
Internationally recognised internal planning, monitoring and
evaluation procedures have also been established and are
supported by the project's implementing agencies. All AFEP
financial management and procurement procedures must adhere to
strict guidelines to ensure that all of the above objectives are
achieved.
Project Implementation
AFEP is under the supervision of a Steering Committee, including
the Agency for the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Aceh and
Nias (BRR), the Governor of Aceh, the Multi-Donor Fund (MDF) and
relevant GoA technical agencies. On the ground activities are
supervised by a Project Leader who is in turn supported by a
team of professional and experienced staff.
AFEP has adopted strict anti-corruption policies. An
Anti-Corruption Action Plan (ACAP), including a dedicated
complaints handling hotline (0812 607 6333) and email address
(leuser@leuserfoundation.org) ensures that the project is
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