WWF at work protecting Sumatran rain forests
May 4th, 2010 by wwftravel
- Kerinci Seblat National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia
The Southeast Asian island of Sumatra has some of the richest and most diverse tropical forests on the planet, housing thousands of unique species. These forests also absorb harmful carbon emissions and are sources of fresh water for the island’s people.
It is estimated that 85 percent of Sumatra’s forests have been destroyed by commercial logging and conversion to agriculture. WWF works with local communities and governments as well as globally to address these threats. Among its projects:
Enabling responsible forestry
Approximately 80 percent of Indonesia’s timber production is illegally harvested. WWF provides practical tools to producers, manufacturers and traders who are committed to responsible forestry. We educate consumers and institutions worldwide about the power of their choices to stimulate a healthy market for responsibly sourced wood products.
International finance
The vast wealth of natural resources found on Sumatra has attracted large-scale international financing focused on extractive resources industries, from precious hardwoods and minerals to palm oil, rubber, natural gas and petroleum. The pressure to feed growing global demand has led to unsustainable logging, massive forest conversion and other practices that imperil the islands’ ecological integrity. WWF is identifying the most influential public and private financial institutions that drive the extractive industries and working with them to realize business opportunities that are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
- Oil palm fruits being loaded onto truck. Tesso Nilo, Sumatra, Indonesia © Volker Kess / WWF
Practicing sustainable agriculture
WWF co-founded the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in 2003. This group has already grown to include 150 businesses – including leading producers, retailers, traders, financiers and buyers. Together, we are bringing sustainable palm oil to the marketplace.
Responsible logging
Nusa Hijau, the Indonesian component of the Global Forest & Trade Network, was created to support producers, manufacturers and traders in Indonesia that are committed to legal logging. This is a key part of WWF’s initiative to eliminate illegal logging and improve management of valuable and threatened forests. The project has produced practical tools for stepwise forest certification, timber tracking and chain-of-custody monitoring, as well as sourcing of verified legal and sustainable forest products.
Learn more about WWF’s work in Sumatra.
Join WWF’s Circumnavigation of Sumatra expedition, January 3-20, 2011.
