The Sumatra Rainforest Institute (SRI)
Presentation
Sumatra is an Indonesian volcanic island, the westernmost in the country. The island is huge (slightly smaller than France) and difficult to access, with roads struggling to make their way through the island's numerous mountain ranges. Sumatra is home to one of the last remaining primary forests in the world, rich in exceptional flora and fauna. The Sumatran orangutan (divided into two subspecies), the Sumatran tiger, the Sumatran elephant, and the Sumatran rhinoceros are all endemic species that are critically endangered.
Its coastline is equally rich, with numerous corals and underwater species, some of which are also highly endangered (notably sea turtles). Sumatra is a symbol of our planet's magnificent biodiversity, which is unfortunately threatened by humans. The island has been largely spared from mass tourism and its harmful effects, and some national parks are protected.
Despite everything, most natural areas are still heavily impacted by scourges linked to human activity: legal or illegal deforestation (palm oil cultivation, gold drilling and mining), poaching (particularly for Chinese medicine or the illegal exotic pet market), conflicts with local populations (tiger attacks or destruction of plantations by monkeys or elephants), and waste management (particularly plastic, which is an ecological disaster there). The scene is set, so now we can introduce you to the SRI.
The Sumatra Rainforest Institute (SRI) is an eight-year-old Indonesian NGO based in Sumatra. It is a small local NGO with around 20 employees and offices in Medan (the main city in North Sumatra) and Padang Sidempuan (a remote town that appears to be an economic hub for the region).
Its director, Rado (we'll spare you his first name in the local language), is a native Indonesian in his forties with a master's degree in biology who has always been committed to protecting his island's natural resources. He began his career with international NGOs, where he learned the ropes and discovered how these organizations work. While research and awareness-raising work is essential (and very well done by these NGOs), Rado deplores the lack of concrete action on the ground and the lack of consideration for local populations, who are nevertheless the ones who have the most contact (positive or negative) with the forest. Based on this observation and seeing the situation deteriorate, he decided to create the SRI, whose main mission is therefore the protection and conservation of this primary forest.
Unfortunately, the large size of the island and the SRI's limited financial resources restrict Rado and his team, who can only cover three regions of North Sumatra province (North, Central, and South Tapanuli), which nevertheless represent 375,000 hectares. This area is home to the Tapanuli orangutan (fewer than 800 individuals), the Sumatran tiger, the pangolin, and the hawkbill turtle.
Elephants are found mainly in the south of the island or in the province of Aceh (the northernmost province), as are the few remaining rhinos, whose exact location is kept secret by the government to protect them from poaching. The SRI plans to cover the province of Aceh once it has more resources. In order to develop its projects, Rado explains that he has a two-pronged strategy: to propose small local projects and obtain grants from the government or through partnerships with local eco-responsible companies, and to solicit international donors. Last year, SRI was able to invest the equivalent of $200K to carry out its various projects. The aid received can be financial, human (volunteering), or material. In order to ensure the sustainability of the projects when the dedicated funds are exhausted, SRI systematically cultivates small coffee or durian (a fairly expensive local fruit) plants around the areas it protects. The sale of these crops guarantees a sufficient source of income to keep the project going. Today, the SRI's activities are divided into four main areas: forest restoration and reforestation; protection and conservation of endangered species; education and awareness-raising among local populations; and policy. These areas are, of course, closely interlinked.
The scourge of deforestation
Deforestation resulting from human activity is one of the island's main scourges. Although the palm oil industry has been criticized in Europe, it is mainly concentrated on the island of Borneo and not on Sumatra, where the rugged terrain makes it impossible to grow palm trees. Here, it is gold that justifies the clearing of hundreds of hectares of forest. The problem stems mainly from large local and foreign companies investing in the region. Some farmers also claim unprotected land to grow coffee, cocoa, or other crops that will enable them to make a living, but this accounts for only a tiny fraction of the deforestation affecting the island. This is one of the main issues to be addressed by SRI, either through projects initiated directly by the NGO or through partnerships. Rado explains that he was recently commissioned by a Chinese-Indonesian geothermal company under a government law requiring it to replant an area equivalent to that required for the construction of their power plant. Beyond this legal obligation, the company is committed to protecting the forest that provides the natural resources necessary for its activity. Hot springs enable it to supply a large part of the island with green energy. After studying the company's profile, SRI agreed to collaborate with them and set up this reforestation project. Upon arriving at the site, one is struck by the contrast between the power plant and the surrounding forest; it is difficult to imagine that the two can coexist respectfully. But this is indeed the case. Recreating such an ecosystem is much more complex than it appears; it is not enough to simply replant trees where there is space. The SRI must first work on restoration, i.e., studying the characteristics of the forest (the distribution of its fauna and flora, its diversity, its soil) before growing samples in a greenhouse, preparing them for the new characteristics of their future soil. This work takes several months and requires testing phases before the "baby plants" can be planted. If there are no mistakes and optimal conditions are met, it will take about ten years to establish the beginnings of a tropical forest, with its fauna and flora. SRI is currently working on 25 one-hectare blocks with this company. Rado explains that this type of project is much easier to implement with foreign companies, which the government can put pressure on, than with Indonesian companies, which use their political connections to circumvent their environmental obligations.
Conservation of endangered species
The other major area of action for SRI concerns the conservation of endangered forest species. Communication focuses mainly on species such as tigers, orangutans, elephants, and rhinos, which are more popular with the general public and therefore more likely to generate empathy (and consequently donations). These species are referred to as "umbrella species" because protecting them means protecting all of the forest's wildlife. For example, taking action to protect orangutans will also have an impact on pangolins and other lesser-known species of monkeys.
When a species is identified as endangered, the SRI conducts a preliminary research investigation to identify the causes of the danger and the areas at risk, as well as to collect a large amount of data. This work takes several months and enables the SRI to put together a data-backed case for obtaining funding. It will then be possible to implement an appropriate action plan based on the threats identified.
We mentioned deforestation earlier, but the other two main threats are poaching (for commercial purposes) and hunting by local populations (mainly as a means of repression). Many species are illegally killed or captured for resale on the black market, for a variety of purposes (mainly Chinese medicine, but also as hunting trophies or for domestication). To prevent this danger, it is necessary to set up surveillance posts in areas where animals are most vulnerable (easy access for humans) and to establish regular ranger patrols to deter hunters and remove traps. This is the approach chosen by the SRI to limit the risk of poaching in the Tapanuli region. Some NGOs, such as the WCS, prefer to infiltrate by posing as buyers on the black market before pinpointing sellers and attempting to trace the networks. The slaughter of wild animals by local populations is also a real problem. Coexistence with animals is often very complicated, as we can see in France with wolves and bears. Conflict can arise because certain species (elephants, orangutans, etc.) are likely to unintentionally destroy plantations, which are often the only source of income for people living near the forest. Farmers do not hesitate to take up their guns and shoot the animals in question (a year ago, Rado and his team tried unsuccessfully to save an orangutan riddled with 40 bullets...).
When it finds an injured animal, the SRI contacts a partner NGO with the necessary emergency medical equipment to transport it to the nearest center (often located in Medan). Tigers pose a completely different problem. When their usual food sources are scarce (humans hunting wild pigs and deer), they may venture into villages and kill people. This happens several times a year and when it does, the inhabitants are allowed to kill the animal because "a tiger that tastes human flesh will kill again, that's for sure." Here again, surveillance posts set up in "hot spots" (where the tiger is likely to come out of the forest) are effective in preventing encounters between humans and animals. If this is not possible, there are effective ways of resolving the conflict without killing the animal. For example, SRI provides cannons whose loud noise scares the animal away. Residents are also trained in the use of hypodermic rifles to sedate the animal before the SRI teams arrive. The tiger protection program is new for SRI. While dialogue with the villages concerned and education are already underway, the NGO is still seeking additional funds to build the surveillance posts mentioned above. A similar program for the protection and conservation of orangutans has been in place for several years. More recently, SRI has launched a new project to reunite two groups of orangutans separated by a human village and threatened with inbreeding due to their isolation. After a thorough study of the situation, it was decided to work on the construction of a "natural" corridor crossing the river upstream from the village to allow these two groups to mix. In the northwest of the region, SRI has a small team accompanied by volunteers to protect sea turtles, particularly during the nesting season when the babies are coveted by poachers for resale.
Educating and raising awareness among local populations, especially young people, is one of the NGO's major challenges. While raising awareness among the rest of the world is important, it is the locals who live closest to the forest and have a direct impact on it. In these regions, many children do not have access to school and will end up growing coffee, cocoa, or other exportable resources. The fact that 90% of the local economy is based on agriculture poses a serious threat to peaceful coexistence with the forest, not only because of the conflicts mentioned above, but also because in order to cultivate these areas, it is often necessary to clear part of the forest and consequently destroy its entire ecosystem. The problem is that many inhabitants do not realize the wealth that the forest around them provides. They also have no economic culture and do not know how to capitalize on the potential development of ecotourism. The challenge is therefore twofold: to raise awareness among the younger generations about the forest, its fauna and flora, to make them want to respect and protect it, and to teach them the keys to benefiting from its riches by setting up ecotourism. This is a huge undertaking, as there are so many villages and the SRI is struggling to reach the entire population concerned. For the time being, they have chosen to target one "influencer" in each village, someone who is likely to be able to reach as many people (adults and children) as possible around them and raise their awareness of these issues. When it comes to learning about trade, it is even more complicated. What seems obvious or logical to us is not at all obvious to young adults. They have mastered the basics of selling their various crops, but do not know how to apply these principles to other "markets." Young people need to earn money quickly and have little education, so they are unable to take the risk of starting a business of any kind. Rado explained to us that in order to do so, an organization would first have to employ and pay them, and that its success would reassure young workers, who would then be more likely to embark on their own adventure. We also believe that a good understanding of the basics of business would give them more confidence to do so. Of course, when we talk about business here, we are referring to eco-business that respects the forest, which brings us back to awareness, and the circle is complete.
An inevitable political commitment
Rado is also very involved in the region's political life. He is a member of the "yellow" party, currently in power, which has a certain ecological sensitivity and is opposed to the communist party. It is obviously much easier to implement local projects when you have the support of the government. Furthermore, as we have seen above, these environmental issues are directly linked to education and the region's economy. Rado therefore wants to take part in all discussions on these subjects to ensure that they are in the best interests of the forest.
What is MEEKO's commitment?
We spent several days with the SRI team, which gave us a better understanding of how an NGO of this size works in the field. We realize that all the issues are interrelated, but that political support is essential in order to address these issues upstream (rather than reactively). We are comforted by the idea that "business" is not a dirty word and that in many cases, the development of eco-tourism appears to be one of the best solutions for enabling local populations to live in harmony with the forest. We also realized that SRI (like many small local organizations) was far removed from the world of media and carefully crafted content that makes people want to belong to a community.
Today, mastering social media and being able to present projects in an attractive way is essential for reaching the general public and, indirectly, raising more resources (human and/or financial). We are convinced that if the work of the SRI were to benefit from greater visibility in France, it would be very successful.
Beyond donating a portion of our revenue to SRI, we want to encourage the MEEKO community to volunteer their time to help SRI grow through a wide variety of projects that will call on all kinds of skills: redesigning social media, the website, and the graphic identity; translation; financial auditing; creating educational content for children in local villages; exploring alternative business opportunities related to eco-tourism, etc. In this way, we hope to consolidate the work of the SRI in the Tapanuli region and facilitate its development across a larger area of the island.