Kapuas Hulu Project

Project background

Since 2011, PRCF, a local organization focused on conserving natural resources, has worked with three villages in Kapuas Hulu district, West Kalimantan: Nanga Jemah, Sri Wangi, and Tanjung village. Those villages now join their neighbours, Nanga Betung and Penepian Raya, in a collaborative project with PRCF and the Rimba Collective spanning 10,295ha of village forest.

The main livelihood of these communities is farming, with shifting cultivation techniques that are passed down from generation to generation. 

It is important to have effective forest management, which relies on raising awareness of the benefits of sustainability, developing livelihood activities that depend on the sustainable use of forests, and building local capacity to design and implement village forest management plans.

Location & total area

There are five forest villages under the Rimba Collective initiative in collaboration with PRCF with a total area of 10,295 ha:

• Nanga Betung village forest (1,995 ha), Nanga Jemah village which sits at the Nyuai Peningun village forest (4,160 ha) and Sri Wangi village which sits at the Batang Tau forest village (335 ha), all in Boyan Tanjung sub-district,
• Penepian Raya forest village (1,285 ha) in Jongkong sub-district,
• Tanjung village which sits at the Bukit Belang village forest (2,520 ha) in Mentebah sub-district. 

Putussibau, West Kalimantan, is the capital of Boyan Tanjung, Jongkong, and Mentebah sub-districts. 

What is special about this project 

The Rimba Collective is working with five village forests, one of which is the Bukit Belang village forest. The village forest sits in the Muller Schwaner ecosystem forest area, an area crucial for various flora and fauna. 

An HCV (High Conservation Values) assessment conducted in January 2015 found 49 fauna from 34 Familia, three of which are endemic to Kalimantan island and 48 are within the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. The area also has more than 222 wood plants from 53 Familia, many of which are threatened species locally and globally. 

To avoid deforestation and help the community to continue conserving the forest while improving the communities’ capacity, the Rimba Collective is working with PRCF Indonesia, a foundation who has deep connections with the area. 

An HCV (High Conservation Values) assessment conducted in January 2015 found 49 fauna from 34 Familia, three of which are endemic to Kalimantan island and 48 are within the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. 

How we add value to this project 

PRCF has been working with three of the five villages since 2011 with fundings from various organizations and philanthropic ventures. There has been some progress, but having long-term continuous funding will help with human resources development as well as more professional conservation and restoration practices. 

Together with PRCF Indonesia, we will improve the forest village institutions, create better forest management (including forest patrol and forest fires patrol), and develop local business through agroforestry. 

We are also actively working on people’s development with its scholarship program, which provides funding for candidates from the five villages, covering tuition fees as well as living costs.

Activities

The project aims to protect the habitat and biodiversity of the area through the implementation of four main activities: 

• Supporting community-based forest conservation
• Environment services management
• Utilization of non-timber forest products
• Increasing the community capacity and strengthening institutions 

The utilization of non-timber products will be supported by creating market demand and promoting the non-timber forest products to national and global markets. Altogether, this will increase the community’s capacity and livelihoods and help them enjoy the benefits of better forest conservation.