KERABAT Consortium, Led by YAPEKA work in BBKSDA Riau in collaboration with INDECON and FHK work in a unique area, where the remaining Sumatran tiger population is critically endangered (the IUCN RedList) and coexist with the local human population. This area, known as the Rimbang Baling landscape – with a Wildlife Reserve as its core area – is located in Riau Province, Sumatra Island of Indonesia. Part of the IUCN ITHCP Phase III supported by KfW, this project’s objective is to help the local community recognize the value of actively conserving Sumatran tigers while simultaneously improving their quality of life.
Stakeholder engagement and support
Major anthropogenic pressures in Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve (RBWR) are mainly illegal logging, land encroachment, and inadequate protection coverage. These pressures deteriorate key ecological services such as a water catchment area for the central part of Sumatra, thus environmental degradation would cascade negative impacts not only on the immediate surroundings but also on other areas that rely on RBWR as the water source. To address the pressure that needs collaboration with key stakeholders and empower the community based on their potential natural resources.
Conservation of Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve (RBWR) requires meaningful participation from diverse stakeholders, for example through conservation and sustainable livelihood aspects. Engaging the management authority, local governments and community who live inside and adjacent to RBWR are essential. Multi-layer collaborative approaches include central government, local government, village government and private sector.
In 2022, KERABAT Consortium carried out a kick-off meeting attended by the government (central, provincial, district, sub-district, village), community, and local civil society organizations. The inception phase marked a continuous approach to generate more robust support from stakeholders in both aspects of tiger conservation and community livelihood. The community in seven villages as targeted villages is also actively involved in the planning and implementation.
Sustainable Livelihood and Collaborative Protection in Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve
KERABAT Consortium aims to strengthen to improve landscape management measures by increasing community participation in tiger conservation and sustainable livelihood. KERABAT Consortium facilitates communities of Tanjung Belit, Muara Bio, Batu Sanggan, Tanjung Beringin, Gajah Bertalut, Aur Kuning and Terusan, support them to actively communicate with management authority (BBKSDA Riau) to create collaborative mechanism diversifying and strengthening their livelihood. BBKSDA Riau, include provincial and district government support in the implementation of integrated tiger conservation and community development through community-based protection, and sustainable livelihood including ecotourism. In the conservation components, the project aims to improve tiger monitoring and reporting measures and contribute decision-making process at the landscape management level. To reduce further pressure, the project is implementing alternative livelihood activities, market facilitation and community production facilities.
KERABAT Consortium has contributed to the Rimbang Baling management plan (block management), especially in the species, habitat, and community development aspects. The process is carried out in a participatory approach by involving the community and key stakeholders in the Rimbang Baling area. In overcoming the threat, collaborative monitoring of the area is encouraged in the seven (7) target villages. This is important in order to reduce threats and human-tiger conflicts that might occur. Collaborative work between management authorities, communities, and NGOs can conserve the species and its habitat and community development through sustainable use of natural resources.
Sustainable Livelihood–Forest Resources through Land optimization and Agroforestry
In the consortium, YAPEKA focuses on the sustainable livelihood for the community that depends on forest resources through land optimization and agroforestry in targeted villages. Therefore, the development of alternative livelihood options is based on the local natural resources that can be utilized sustainably and comply with regulations. Among the sustainable livelihood options are optimizing rubber production (the main source of livelihood), without opening new forests area and enrichment of land through agroforestry plan that are distributed in the targeted villages. In the near future, YAPEKA aims to work with farmers, middlemen and the market to organize a more effective and just value chain while maintaining sustainability.
Sustainable Livelihood–Developing Ecotourism and Souvenir Products
INDECON focuses on ecotourism development and connects with tourism agencies at the provincial level. INDECON also carried out capacity building for the village’s tourism group and developed tourism attractions to support livelihood and conservation aspects. Sustainable livelihood and ecotourism will reduce forest/biodiversity threats including conserving the Sumatran tiger.
Development and Implementation of Community-based Protection
While ForumHarimauKita (FHK) focuses on the development and implementation of community-based protection. the community is aware of the forest and its biodiversity and they involve in forest protection through adat/customary support in capacity building and forest monitoring in their villages. Include raising awareness and engaging the community in tiger and habitat protection activities. The educational activities consist of two components, namely an educational visit to elementary schools in targeted villages and a movie screening followed by community discussions.
This ensures that all community members are aware of, and may take part in, the conservation aspects of the program instead of only the specifically targeted Dubalang monitoring group. Dubalang will receive a series of training to monitor and report any tiger-related events to the authorities, including prevention action to deter any further threats both for the tiger and humans. Data and information uptakes will be reported further to assist the decision-making process at the landscape management level by BBKSDA Riau.
Through “Advancing human and tiger harmony in Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve, Central Sumatran Tiger Landscape”, hope that Rimbang Baling’s local community recognize the value of actively protecting tigers by engaging in their conservation, which will ultimately result in an improved quality of life.
