Indonesia Launches Ground-Breaking Partnership To Align Sustainability Efforts

An innovative integrated landscape management framework has been unveiled at the Global Landscapes Forum by an alliance of Indonesian central and provincial government, civil society, local communities and the private sector.

The South Sumatra Eco-Region Alliance: A Partnership for Change, formed by His Excellency Alex Noerdin (pictured, r), Governor of South Sumatra, is designed to address deforestation, peatland degradation, wildfires, local livelihoods and associated climate impacts within the context of green growth development. The Governor of South Sumatra signed an official Ministerial Decree to launch this initiative.

The partnership is built on three key elements:

1) Government Jurisdictional Policy and Institutional Framework

2) Sustainable Landscape Model

3) Monitoring and Reporting Progress

Designed in conjunction with the Government, using a bottom-up approach, it brings together key stakeholders and technical partners. In working with the Governor, national and district government departments, communities and the private sector, tools will be developed to bridge respective sustainability efforts, creating a viable model for a jurisdictional approach that can be translated elsewhere in Indonesia. In addition, the initiative is supported by the transparent and time-bound sustainability commitments of companies including Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP).

Alex Noerdin, Governor of South Sumatra said: “South Sumatra is moving towards green growth by improving productivity without damaging the environment. Current business as usual for land management practices are leading to the degradation of our fragile peatlands. To make the essential changes in achieving green growth and to protect valuable natural resources, it is essential to have an approach that embraces all stakeholders operating across the landscape. This is an ambitious undertaking but is our only option to make meaningful change and ensure environmental protection whilst stimulating economic development.”

Aida Greenbury, APP’s Managing Director of Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement, said: “A multi-stakeholder approach is the only way to protect Indonesia’s natural landscape. This new public-private partnership will play a significant role in helping Indonesian communities to manage land for economic development while protecting our forests.”

In addition, Fitrian Ardiansyah, Country Director for The Sustainable Trade Initiative, IDH Indonesia, said: “This partnership represents an innovative initiative that is strongly aligned with current Indonesian efforts in managing and protecting peatland and forests across landscapes while reducing carbon emissions. We have seen how the private sector in Indonesia can make globally significant commitments to environmental protection, and we believe that future initiatives are stronger when public and private interests work together.”

Andjar Rafiastanto, Zoological Society London, Indonesia Country Manager, said: “Indonesia has lost a huge amount of forest cover as a result of the recent fires. This has not only degraded forest areas and reduced biodiversity, but it has also affected the health of millions of people across the region. There is clearly a drastic need to establish an integrated landscape management framework that can enable change and ensure the best practice in the management of peatlands in particular are implemented by all actors working across Indonesia’s landscapes.”

The South Sumatra Eco-Region Alliance pilot landscape programme for forest conservation is partly funded by the Norwegian Government Climate Change Programme, and the UK Government Climate Change Unit.