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)
• Invasive species

• 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 2024, 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/, and reports the following:

• The State Party remains committed to the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger. A progress report on the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) is annexed;
• It is reiterated that forest cover has ‘relatively stabilized’ from 2011 to 2022 following efforts to address deforestation and forest loss, including the moratorium on new concessions in primary forests and peatlands since 2011, as well as resolving land-use conflicts, law enforcement, and ecosystem restoration. More than 12,000 hectares have been rehabilitated and restored in the last decade, with commitment to continue. Efforts to address encroachment are intensified. Local communities previously considered to be involved in encroachment are actively involved in participatory restoration activities. An ecosystem recovery plan (2019-2023) exists for each national park (NP);
• The key species (Sumatran rhino, tiger, elephant, orangutan) are regularly monitored. The overall tiger population is reported as relatively stable (data ranging 2010-2022). In Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP), camera trap surveys are underway in the eastern part (results expected by end of 2024) and being initiated in 2024 in the western part (results by 2025). Elephant data for 2019-20 are reiterated. For orangutan, 2021-2023 monitoring in GLNP estimated ~142 individuals. For rhino, camera trap monitoring was undertaken in GLNP (62 traps in 2023) and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP) (250 traps 2018-2019) supported by on-foot surveys. Further efforts include semi-in situ conservation such as the establishment of the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) in Lampung, as well as establishing a second SRS in Aceh and Kelian East Kalimantan;
• The State Party is committed to not issuing permits for new road proposals within national parks and is mitigating effects of existing roads. No impact assessment for the Muara Situlen-Gelombang road segment in GNLP has been initiated since no proposal (for construction or improvement) has been submitted. If such a project would be tabled it would be opposed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. A number of dam-related project development proposals have been rejected;
• Mitigation measures for the Karo-Langkat road include canopy bridges for primates, fencing, guard posts, patrolling, regulating vehicle intensity, drainage channels and signage. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for the Sanggi-Bengkunat road upgrade (11.5km in BBSNP; dated 2023) and Bukit Tapan-Sungai Penuh Road widening (23km in Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP); dated 2022) projects are appended. In line with Presidential Decree, the Trans-Sumatran Highway does not cross the GLNP, passing closest to the boundary at two points (± 7km; ± 6-8km);
• There continue to be no mining concessions or exploration in the property, with closure and rehabilitation of small-scale illegal sites. Boundary monitoring and reconstruction continues. Law enforcement continues to be strengthened through Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) and increased patrol efforts, reporting decreasing threats and snares, and human wildlife conflict continues to be addressed. The spatial plan to manage the wider Leuser Ecosystem (KEL) is being developed.
• A summary of the 2020-2030 KSNP Management Plan is provided in English and the full documentation will be submitted once translated into English. The objectives of the 2023 Ministerial Decree on ‘Coordination Team of Management and Preparing of Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) and Komodo National Park Natural World Heritage’ (annexed to the State Party report in Indonesian) include accelerating efforts to remove the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, optimizing and synergizing its management, as well as preparing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the property and Komodo National Park;
• On 21 November 2023, the State Party submitted a proposal for a significant boundary modification and submission to add ‘Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra – Significant Boundary Modification’ to its Tentative List (https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6694/).

In November 2023, IUCN reviewed the UNESCO Jakarta Office report ‘Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra World Heritage Boundary Review to better reflect Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) for long-term protection’, which was developed to inform the significant boundary modification process with support of the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds-in-Trust. The IUCN review was shared with the State Party through the UNESCO Jakarta Office.

On 1 March 2024, the State Party, World Heritage Centre and IUCN held a meeting under the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism to discuss the state of conservation of the property, planned boundary modification and DSOCR.

It is positive that the State Party is continuing efforts to implement the corrective measures, including the continued moratorium on new forest concessions, implementation of restoration efforts and ecosystem recovery plans, and the engagement of communities (previously considered to be involved in encroachment) in restoration efforts. Whilst the report reiterates that forest cover has relatively stabilized from 2011 to 2022, no data are provided on forest loss, which has been observed continuously during the same period. It is therefore also unclear to what extent the DSOCR indicators on forest cover have been achieved, which require that there is no further loss of primary forest cover and no net loss of secondary forest cover in the property against the 2018 baseline.

It is also positive that monitoring of key species continues and in-situ rhino conservation is being strengthened. Further information is however required to confirm the extent to which the DSOCR species indicator has been achieved (i.e. for populations to show a sustained positive trend in range occupancy). Specifically, Sumatran tiger is reported as stable, however the latest data presented for KSNP and GLNP are from 2020, and for BBSNP from 2022. Elephant data are from 2019-20, and whilst rhino surveys have continued in 2023, no specific population data are reported. Although 2023 orangutan surveys report population status, further information regarding changes over time would be required to determine whether there is a positive trend in the population. This emphasises the ongoing need for a systematic survey using standard replicable methods to enable a property-wide analysis of population status and monitor trends, that was highlighted by the 2018 mission. Overall, it is also recommended the State Party specifically report against all DSOCR indicators to enable a clear assessment of the extent to which these have been achieved and what remains to be implemented.

The commitment to not allow new road developments within the property, to ensure EIAs for any proposed changes to existing roads, and to mitigate effects of existing roads is appreciated, noting also that there is no intention to upgrade the Muara Situlen-Gelombang segment. Implementation of mitigation measures for the Karo-Langkat road, including to address habitat fragmentation, should be continued. Whilst it is positive that the Trans-Sumatran Highway does not cross the GLNP, given its proximity to the boundary and the importance of the wider KEL to protect the integrity of GLNP, it is important to ensure that the potential impact on the OUV is adequately assessed to avoid any potential negative impacts.

The submission of EIAs for the two road projects is appreciated though the current status of the projects is not reported. The EIA for the Bukit Tapan-Sungai Penuh road widening project in KSNP identifies impacts on the OUV of the property and proposes mitigation measures, but the scientific underpinning of these, and therefore whether they would adequately mitigate impacts of the project on the OUV, such as fragmentation and to ensure connectivity, remain unclear. Regarding the EIA for the Sanggi-Bengkunat road upgrade in BBSNP, it is concerning that the existing road is reported to already be impacting habitat and wildlife, including Sumatran rhino, and that impacts on key species is identified as moderate or severe. The statement that the rate of forest clearance would be lower compared to the “widespread deforestation observed across the entire [BBSNP]” is also concerning. The likely negative impacts on OUV therefore appears difficult to mitigate. An IUCN review of the EIAs will be submitted to the State Party.

The Ministerial Decree’s focus on coordinating management and accelerating conservation efforts for the property should further strengthen management, and it is recommended the SEA be prioritised to enable authorities to proactively inform planning decisions for the property through a strategic assessment of developments (including road upgrades and widening) and their potential impacts (specifically cumulative impacts) on the OUV. All impact assessment processes should follow the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context.

Whilst it is positive that there continues to be no mining within the property and several dam-related proposals have been rejected, a response is yet to be provided to the request for clarification on four hydropower dams (Soraya Dam, Jambo Aye Dam, Kluet Dam and Samarkilang Dam), mining projects in the KEL in the vicinity of GLNP and the spatial plan to manage the KEL.

The State Party’s commitment to preparing an significant boundary modification proposal is appreciated and further encouraged. Noting that the area included in the Tentative List submission appears to be informed by the 2023 UNESCO Jakarta report, it is important to recall IUCN’s review, which provided guidance on further work that would be required regarding the identification and assessment of the OUV, and to fully address the recommendations of previous Committee Decisions and Reactive Monitoring missions to finalise the process. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN remain available should further advice be required on this matter.