Gunung Leuser National Park

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Gunung Leuser National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location Sumatra, Indonesia
Area 7,927 km²
Established 1980

Gunung Leuser National Park is a national park covering 7,927 km² in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, straddling the border of North Sumatra and Aceh provinces.[1] The national park, named after 3,381 m height of Mount Leuser, protects a wide range of ecosystems. An orangutan sanctuary of Bukit Lawang is located inside the park. Together with Bukit Barisan Selatan and Kerinci Seblat national parks it forms a World Heritage Site, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra.[2]

Contents

[edit] Geography

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Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

[edit] Ecology

Gunung Leuser National Park is one of the two remaining habitat for Sumatran Orangutans (Pongo abelii).[3] In 1971, Herman Rijksen established the Ketambe research station, a specially designated research area for the orangutan.[4]

[edit] Threats

In November 1995 the Langkat Regency government proposed a road to connect an old enclave, known as Sapo Padang, inside the park. In persute of business opportunities, 34 families who had been living in the enclave formed a cooperative in March 1996 and subsequently submitted a proposal to develop an oil palm plantation in August 1997.[5] The oil palm proposal was accepted by the regency and the head of the park agreed to the road construction.

In accordance to the government's Proverty Alleviation Program, the oil palm project proceed with 42.5 km² of clearance area, but the project has made a major forest destruction of the park during its implementation.[5] The local cooperation unit formed a partnership with PT Amal Tani which has strong relationship with the military command in the area.[note 1] In January 1998, the Indonesian Forest Ministry granted a permission of 11 km road to be built. In June 1998, local office of the Forestry Service issued a decree stating that the Sapo Padang enclave was no longer legally a part of the national park; a controversial decision which consequently led to further forest destruction during the road construction and invited newcomers to slash and burn forest area to create local plantations a way deeper to the park.

In 1999, two university-based NGOs filed a legal suit to the Medan State Court, while a group of 61 lawyers brought a parallel case in the National Administrative Court. In July 1999 the National Administrative Court rejected the case, while the local NGOs won with 30 million rupiahs damage, but the legal process continues with appeals.[5] The legal process did not stop the project that extensive logging and clearing, road-building and oil palm plantation continue operating inside the national park.

[edit] Notes

1  PT Amal Tani was owned by the immediate family of the commander of the Indonesian army's territorial military command of the area, KODAM I Bukit Barisan. The principal function of the military partnership is to organize "administrative details" when obtaining permissions to build the roads and other related projects. The director of PT Amal Tani became the executive of the local cooperation unit. The military's unit charitable foundation, Yayasan Kodam I Bukit Barisan, also involved in the project.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ World Database on Protected Areas: Entry of Gunung Leuser National Park
  2. ^ Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra. UNESCO. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  3. ^ S. A. Wich; I. Singleton; S. S. Utami-Atmoko; M. L. Geurts; H. D. Rijksen; and C. P. van Schaik (2003). "The status of the Sumatran orang-utan Pongo abelii: an update". Flora & Fauna International 37 (1). doi:10.1017/S0030605303000115. 
  4. ^ S. A. Wich; S. S. Utami-Atmoko; T. M. Setia; H. D. Rijksen; C. Schürmann, J.A.R.A.M. van Hooff and C. P. van Schaik (2004). "Life history of wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii)". Journal of Human Evolution 47 (6): 385–398. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.08.006. 
  5. ^ a b c d Emily Matthews, Global Forest Watch (Organization) and Forest Watch Indonesia (Organization) (2002). The State of Forest in Indonesia. Washington DC: World Resources Institute. ISBN 1-56973-492-5. Retrieved on 2007-01-11. 

[edit] See also

Indonesia Portal

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 3°30′N, 97°30′E