PRCF Indonesia team among 108 Noteworthy Practices

Congratulations to Pak Imanul Huda, PRCF Indonesia Director, and the PRCF Indonesia team for their selection as
one of the “108 Noteworthy Practices” for their work in “Creating Community Forestry and Enabling Long-term Stewardship of High Biodiversity Value Forests” at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of Parties for the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD).

Pak Imanul and the PRCF Community Forestry and Biodiversity Program have been partnering with local communities in West Kalimantan to manage over 50,000 hectares of high conservation value forest as Hutan Desa (Village Forests). The Community Forestry program invests in building capacity and strengthening existing community-based forest governance structures.

West Kalimantan is home to several populations of threatened species, notably the critically endangered Bornean Orangutan and Helmeted Hornbill, and other threatened species like the Tomistoma Crocodile, and Agile Gibbon. With most biodiversity not confined to the boundaries of protected areas, partnering with community stewardship is vital. Collaboration presents a viable alternative to the conventional paradigm of conservation through government-run protected areas, where local communities are rarely part of the solution

By securing long-term finance through Payment for Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Offsets, local people are legally and technically empowered to sustainably manage the ecosystems they depend upon for their livelihoods. Villagers are fully involved in all aspects of the project, from planning, to implementation, and progress monitoring. Pak Imanul and the PRCF organization act as a facilitator and provider of technical support, recording, and particularly a source of continuing mentorship. Stakeholder communities benefit from added long-term legal tenure to village lands, long-term funding from biodiversity offsets and carbon credits, institutional development support, livelihood development support, and support for the conservation of village natural resources

The PRCF Community Forestry and Biodiversity Program in West Kalimantan demonstrates that the conservation of forest and endangered species can be achieved via direct involvement of villagers while at the same time improving local community livelihoods.

Once again, congratulations to the team. This award was guided by the CBD Secretariat, the Office of the Executive Committee for the Preparation of COP15, and co-hosted by the China Environmental Protection Foundation, Paradise International Foundation. 

We would also like to thank our partners at the Global Environmental Institute (GEI) for their work and support towards the nomination. You can learn more about their projects at http://www.geichina.org/en/