Forest Restoration Project SDGs Together in Giam Siak Kecil Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve
Belantara Foundation is still carrying out forest restoration program amid the difficulties of COVID19 pandemic. The restoration forest program is fully funded and supported by the APP Sinarmas and other donators as a joint program called the Forest Restoration Project SDGs Together. This program is a collaborative program between Belantara Foundation and APP Sinarmas in an effort to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially for goals number 13 - Climate Actions, goals number 15 – Live on Land, and also goals number 17 – Partnership for the Goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals aims to achieve sustainable development specific indicators as well as solving global problems simultaneously. Global problems that SDGs trying to solve for example are poverty, social inequality, and environmental disaster. The Sustainable Development Goals includes 17 goals with a total of 169 targets for global action plans in the next 15 years, started from 2016 and will be ended in 2030.
In the Forest Restoration Project SDGs Together, Belantara Foundation carries out tree planting activities in degraded peatland areas in Giam Siak Kecil Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve, Riau, Sumatra. The first tree planting phase has been done in September 2020. Tree planting activities will be carrying out in more than 10 hectares of degraded peatland by planting 6 species of trees, which are ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), samak (Glochidion superbum), kelompang (Sterculia macrophylla), kelat (Syzygium spp.) meranti (Shorea spp.) and parak (Santiria laevigata).
Belantara Foundation hope from this forest restoration program, degraded forest in Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve can be restored naturally into healthier peatland ecosystem. Healthy peatland ecosystem is valuable not only as flora and fauna habitat, but also for all living things, for clean water resources, reduce effect of climate crisis, as well as huge carbon storage for global environment. Belantara Foundation also hope this program will serve as Belantara Foundation and APP Sinarmas’s contribution to achieve 3 global action goals out of 17 overall SGDs for a better future.
