Paliyan Wildlife Sanctuary

Restoring the forest to sustain communities and fight climate change

In the late 1990s, the forest in Yogyakarta Special Province on Java Island was decimated due to illegal logging and looting during the economic crisis. Since 2005, in cooperation with the Department of Forestry in Indonesia, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Japan, has been actively restoring and rehabilitating the forest of Paliyan Wildlife Sanctuary. To date, approximately 300,000 native trees, fruit trees and other useful trees have been planted.

To promote understanding of the importance of the forest, the cooperation of the local communities is vital and they were educated on sustainable farming and harvesting methods. Agricultural technical guidance is also provided to help them achieve greater financial independence. There was also collaboration with Gajah Mada University to implement environmental education in order to empower school teachers with the knowledge to pass on to the students and future generations.

With climate change becoming a major concern around the world, this reforestation initiative is even more significant. The restored forest is expected to absorb about 70,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the next 20 years. In addition, the forest cover will help to reduce the occurrence of flooding and landslides in the area.

Now in its third phase, the initiative continues in its environmental education efforts. Nursery trees and seedlings are being distributed to local residents. They are also provided with training in planting and tending methods. By equipping the local community with these sustainable farming and agriculture knowledge, their livelihoods and income can be enhanced and better protected.

Key achievements to date:

• 300,000 trees planted over 350 hectares
• 23 additional bird species documented
• 9 additional butterfly species documented
• 19 schools participated in environmental education
• 165 teachers trained in environmental education
• 97,057 seedlings distributed to encourage planting among locals
• 185 local households trained in planting methods