Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve

The Rimba Raya project grew out of an increasing recognition at the local, national and international levels of the urgency of halting and reversing degradation of the peatswamp forests of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Drainage, illegal logging and fire have devastated the area’s peatswamps in recent decades, and the impacts on local livelihoods, the broader economy and critical wildlife habitats have been staggering. Moreover, the annual contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions has been massive, as the decomposing peat releases stored CO2 at an alarming rate. In response to the mounting crisis, Rimba Raya was developed as a large-scale restoration programme aimed at rehabilitating these vital ecosystems and safeguarding the region’s rich biodiversity. Implemented by a local five-member consortium, the project focused on damming drainage canals to restore natural hydrologic conditions, revegetating denuded areas with commercially-important native tree species, and taking steps to improve local socio-economic conditions while introducing sustainable agricultural techniques. The pilot phase completed in late 2008 provides a strong foundation for future conservation and restoration activities in Central Kalimantan and serves as a basis for other, similar activities in the rest of Indonesia and elsewhere in the tropics of Asia.

Nature-based projects like this one face some risk of reversal. During the life of the project, carbon storage may be affected by flood, fire, or logging. After the project’s end date, land use changes may also reduce carbon storage.