Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra

• Management systems/management plan
• Ground transport infrastructure (Road construction)
• Land conversion (Agricultural encroachment)
• Illegal activities (Illegal logging; Poaching)
• Governance (Institutional and governance weaknesses)
• Renewable energy facilities (Geothermal development license adjacent to the property)

• Road construction
• Mining
• Illegal logging
• Encroachment

Adopted; see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5970 
Revised, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/7213

Adopted; see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5970
Revised, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/7213

In progress

Total amount granted: USD 1,800,000 for the 3-year UNF/UNFIP Project (2005-2007) – Partnership for the Conservation of Sumatra Natural Heritage; USD 35,000 Rapid Response Facility Grant (2007); USD 49,620 from the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds-in-Trust to integrate management and review boundaries for the long-term protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (2020-2022)

On 31 January 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1167/documents/. On 4 April 2022 and 16 March 2023, the State Party submitted a progress report on the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), the corrective measures and the action plan. They report the following:

• To strengthen the management of the three national parks within the property, the Government of Indonesia initiated a Ministerial Decree on Coordination Team of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) Management that will provide direct management support from the central government to these three national parks in conserving the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The draft decree is planned to be legalized in second quarter of 2023;
• Population assessments of Sumatran elephant, tiger, rhino and orangutan using occupancy monitoring, SMART patrolling and law enforcement show either a degree of uncertainty that requires continuous monitoring, or a declining population. A Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary opened in the wider Leuser ecosystem to support the species’ Emergency Action Plan;
• Although patrol effort has fluctuated, it has generally increased significantly compared to earlier years (2014/15). Correspondingly, the number of threats and snares recorded by the patrol teams has also fluctuated over time but tends to show a decreasing pattern;
• No decision has been taken regarding previously reported proposals to clear forest areas within the property. In 2019, the President of Indonesia indefinitely extended the 2011 moratorium for “the postponement of issuance of new licenses and improving, governance of primary natural forest and peatland”. Meanwhile, forest loss continues to be observed in all components of the property however it is reported that examining the forest cover changes from 2011 up to 2021 indicated that forest cover has relatively stabilized. A guideline on Handling Tenure Conflicts in Conservation Areas has been developed to address the issue of settlements in encroached areas within the property;
• An Ecosystem Management Plan and a 2018-2022 Ecosystem Restoration Plan have been developed to rehabilitate land and eradicate and control the invasive species, Mantangan, in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP). More than 80,000 ha of degraded areas within the property have been rehabilitated in the past 10 years;
• Community engagement efforts have been strengthened, now placing the local community in the center of conservation activities and communities are considered key partners in ecosystem restoration;
• The rangers of the property have worked with communities to mitigate negative interactions between humans and wildlife, including responding to conflicts, increasing community awareness and resilience, and engaging local governments and the private sector;
• The State Party confirms that there are no mining concessions, mining exploration permits or new road developments within the property. Illegal small-scale mines inside the property have been undergoing closures since 2014 and the mining sites have been rehabilitated. Impacts from existing roads in the property are being mitigated through intensive patrols and conducting studies to evaluate the impact of road developments on wildlife mobility and the necessity of wildlife corridors or canopy bridges;
• An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from August 2021 for the Karo-Langkat road upgrade inside Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP) identified several negative impacts of the road upgrade, notably habitat fragmentation, while concluding that the current intensive road use has not led to a significant change in the presence of Sumatran tiger and orangutan. Mitigation measures, along with environmental monitoring to reduce the impact of habitat fragmentation, are recommended. A copy of the EIA (in English) was submitted with the report;
• EIAs for the Sanggi-Bengkunat road upgrade (11.5 km road through BBSNP) and the Bukit Tapan-Sungai Penuh road widening (23 km road through Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP)) are undergoing finalization. Preliminary results suggest that the Sanggi-Bengkunat road section upgrade will pose a high threat to the Sumatran rhino, elephant and tiger, and especially to the rhino due to their high distribution around the road, and that the Bukit Tapan-Sungai Penuh road widening will pose a barrier for wildlife. The EIAs will propose mitigation measures for both projects;
• A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of road development plans in the property is underway;
• The Trans-Sumatran highway is reported to be at least 12 km from the KSNP boundary and therefore far from the property;
• The new 2020-2029 management plan for KSNP was submitted with the report, albeit in Indonesian;
• A proposal for a significant boundary modification is under development with support from the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds-in-Trust. Boundary maintenance and awareness raising amongst local communities and other stakeholders is also undertaken on a routine basis;
• The wider Leuser Ecosystem has been designated as an area with an environmental interest focus. A spatial plan for the Leuser Ecosystem is currently being developed with the aim of preventing environmental degradation, conserving species and habitats, and supporting sustainable human life without disturbing the protective function. Management of the Gunung Leuser Biosphere Reserve is ongoing.

The State Party provided some positive updates in response to Decision 44 COM 7A.52 and concerning the DSOCR indicators, including the development and implementation of ecosystem management and restoration plans; continued commitment to further enhance patrols and monitoring; strengthened community engagement efforts; and reaffirmation that there are no mining concessions, mining exploration permits or new roads within the property. The Ministerial Decree to strengthen the management is noted, and the State Party should provide further information with regards to the support that will be provided through these means. While no decision has been taken on the proposed forest clearance within the property, and the moratorium to prevent primary forest loss has been extended, there are no assurances for the long-term protection of the property. However, such assurances are critically needed, given the continued loss of forest recorded in the property, despite its reported stabilization from levels occurring in 2011. There should be no further forest loss within the property, and rehabilitation work must prioritize key ecological roadside corridors, in line with the corrective measures. Recalling the alarming reports from 2019 that local government was proposing to clear 1,306 ha of forest within KSNP as well as 49,000 ha of forest around KSNP and BBSNP, it should be a critical priority to ensure the connectivity of the property with the surrounding ecosystem, particularly with any wildlife corridors. The implementation of other corrective measures, such as agreeing upon a common methodological framework for monitoring each species, remains pending.

Concerning the three road upgrades and the widening within the property, it is noted that EIAs are either completed or now underway. The EIA findings for the Karo-Langkat road that the key mammalian species appear not to have been affected by the road is positive, but it remains vital that the identified mitigation measures are implemented to minimize the impacts of habitat fragmentation. The preliminary findings from the EIAs for Bukit Tapan-Sungai Penuh and Sanggi-Bengkunat roads – the latter being yet another upgrade – indicate that these activities pose high threats to the continued movement of mammalian species. This outcome could be anticipated and emphasizes the importance of well executed impact assessment processes to judge the appropriateness of such developments inside a World Heritage property and assess whether mitigation measures can reduce the impacts to acceptable, low levels. The current status of these projects along with the ongoing SEA for the road development plans in the property should be clarified, and it should also be stressed again that no decision should be taken for either road project until an EIA has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre and reviewed by IUCN, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraphs 118bis and 172 of the Operational Guidelines.

The distance of the Trans-Sumatran Highway from KSNP is noted, but its distance to GLNP appears much closer. Therefore, clarification should be sought on the assessment that has been undertaken to ensure that the integrity of GLNP is protected, especially considering the importance of the wider Leuser ecosystem, as expressed previously by the Committee. Regrettably, no information was provided on the Muara Situlen-Gelombang road, which will supposedly cut 18 km through GLNP, despite the World Heritage Centre’s request for comments, in a letter dated 9 March 2021, and the subsequent reminder sent on 4 March 2022. Similarly, the State Party is yet to provide any information regarding alleged proposals to develop four hydropower dams (Soraya Dam, Jambo Aye Dam, Kluet Dam and Samarkilang Dam) and mining projects near the property in the Leuser Ecosystem, which was also requested in the March 2021 and 2022 letters. Details of these projects, including the spatial plan under development for the Leuser Ecosystem, should be reported.

It is noted that a significant boundary modification proposal for the property is underway with the support of the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds-in-Trust project, and the State Party should be encouraged to continue its close cooperation with the UNESCO Office in Jakarta and remain in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to advance the proposal.

Given the unrelenting significant threats to the property and the deteriorating condition of the property, it is recommended that the Committee also apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism to this property to allow for a closer follow up of its state of conservation.