Leuser Ecosystem Area - Yayasan HAkA

Leuser Ecosystem

Discover one of the oldest rainforest ecosystems in the world located on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The Leuser Ecosystem Area (KEL) has been designated a Biosphere Reserve by MAB-UNESCO, as a buffer zone for the Gunung Leuser National Park. The management of the Aceh KEL is carried out by the Aceh Government, regulated in UUPA number 11 of 2006 and has been designated as a National Strategic Area (KSN) from an Environmental perspective.

The Leuser Ecosystem covers the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. More than 35 times the size of Singapore, this majestic and ancient ecosystem covers more than 2.6 million hectares of lowland rainforest, peat swamp, montane and coastal forest, alpine meadows and cultivated areas. Globally recognized as one of the richest expanses of tropical rainforest found anywhere in Southeast Asia, the Leuser Ecosystem is also one of Asia’s largest carbon sinks.

The last place on earth

The Leuser Ecosystem is the last place in the world where orangutans, rhinos, elephants and tigers coexist in the wild. Unfortunately these four species are now classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered. The Leuser Ecosystem is the only remaining habitat in Sumatra large enough to sustain viable populations of these species. A publication in a leading international science journal lists the Leuser Ecosystem as “one of the world’s most important irreplaceable areas”.

Conservation efforts have been around for a long time

Efforts to preserve the Leuser Ecosystem date back to the early 19th century, when Acehnese traditional leaders lobbied the colonial government to protect their natural heritage, from the mountains to the coast. More recent legislation has served to strengthen the protection of the Leuser Ecosystem and placed responsibility for managing its protection and restoration with the Aceh Provincial Government (Article 150 of the Law on Governing Aceh No. 11/2006).

In addition, the Leuser Ecosystem has a special legal status as a National Strategic Area for Environmental Protection Functions (26/2007 juncto 26/2008). The Leuser Ecosystem Area (KEL) is designated as a Biosphere Reserve by MAB-UNESCO, as a buffer zone of Gunung Leuser National Park.

The environmental and economic benefits of the Leuser Ecosystem are inextricably linked. The Leuser Ecosystem is an important asset for Aceh’s economic development with a total economic value of at least US$350 million per year.

Aceh’s Leuser Ecosystem serves as a life support system for approximately four million people in Aceh. Key ecosystem services are clean water provision and disaster mitigation. Forests in the Leuser Ecosystem act like a sponge to absorb rainfall in the wet season and spread the release of water downstream more evenly throughout the month.

It regulates water supply to prevent prolonged droughts, ensuring a reliable source of freshwater to sustain local rice-growing cultures, agriculture and other fisheries as well as for drinking, bathing and transportation. The ecosystem also provides non-timber forest products such as rattan, bamboo and wild fruits harvested by local communities.

Outstanding environmental value

Deforestation continues to occur in these environmentally sensitive areas and is having a dramatic impact by increasing damage from floods and landslides. When forest cover is removed, heavy rains carry mud and debris into water systems, washing away roads, flooding villages and causing economic damage to communities and downstream industries. Nationally and internationally, the Leuser Ecosystem is also of immense environmental value for its role in climate regulation and carbon storage.