May 17, 2019
Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER) Director of External Affairs, Nyoman Iswarayoga, highlighted the importance of adopting a long-term, multi-stakeholder approach to managing landscape restoration, when speaking at the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) in Kyoto, Japan, this week. The event, which took place 22 years since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, focused on the management of sustainable landscapes as a critical climate solution.
Themed as ‘Climate, Landscapes and Lifestyles: It is Not Too Late’, the event brought together leaders from the science community, development agencies, government, indigenous communities, and civil society and project implementers to share thoughts and ideas to achieve a climate smart future.
Addressing the Forum, Nyoman provided an overview the progress achieved by the RER program and discussed landscape approaches in the context of RER, emphasising the importance of long-term collaboration to bring together diverse stakeholders to achieve a balance between multiple and sometimes conflicting objectives in a landscapes.
“This is an approach that acknowledges all the interests in the landscape, including the community and where we try to make sure all are acknowledged and considered,” said Nyoman. Nyoman also addressed the benefits of a production-protection model, where plantations support and protect the restoration landscape.
In this scenario, RER is surrounded by a ring of fibre plantation that works as a protection buffer, providing a good first layer of protection from encroachment while supporting the restoration program’s operational costs. “This approach has worked to keep the RER area fire free for the past four years,” he added.
He also highlighted the main areas of progress achieved over the past five years. “Since day one, we’ve worked with the local community as partners in the project, and this has been a huge help, in terms of supporting our overall protection efforts and keeping the area fire free. This is an important part of our holistic approach to landscape management.”
“The regeneration of the area’s biodiversity has been another major step forward. We’ve now identified 759 plant and animal species in the area. And then there’s the restoration work itself, where we’ve made significant strides in closing old forestry canals to restore water levels, and in the regenerating of previously degraded forest areas,” he added.
