REDD+ – Rimba Raya, Kalimantan, Indonesia

Project Description

Indonesia, with the 3rd largest expanse of tropical rainforest, loses over 2.5M ha annually (2nd only to Brazil), with much of it cleared with fire for agricultural land, especially for palm oil.

The post‐fire clearing and draining of peat lands makes Indonesia, a non-industrialized economy accounting for <1% of global GDP, one of largest GHG emitters

Total protected area is 91,215 ha of tropical peat swamp forest with 3.5 million tonnes of carbon credits generated annually from 47,237 ha of this

The area was to be converted into 4 palm oil estates by logging, burning of remaining vegetation and systematic draining of peat lands, releasing millions of tonnes of above and below ground carbon

The project creates a buffer zone along the eastern border of the adjacent world‐renowned Tanjung Puting National Park

Sustainability Beyond Carbon

Without the project, forest habitat supporting over 50 endangered species including the Borneo orangutan would have disappeared

The project area’s biodiversity includes 361 bird, 122 mammal and 180 tree and woody plant species, many of which are highly threatened or endangered

The 14 local forest communities’ land cannot be appropriated by palm oil companies

Offsets finance project area protection, local community development and provincial government infrastructure and support

The local community planned and developed various aspects including:

• water filtration devices
• clean stove technology distribution
• solar lighting
• increased healthcare access
• early childhood development materials and tools (e.g. 1 laptop/ child program)
• project and reserve management training and environmental conservation education

Local employment comes from implementing integrated fire management plan and patrolling for illegal logging, wildlife poaching and attempts to create new drainage or logging canals

Reforestation includes forest regeneration in recently burned or formerly logged areas, as well as active replanting

The area’s hydrology is actively managed with small dams constructed on logging canal exits and new methods of peat re-wetting and conservation are being explored