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Home , Bangka Belitung Islands, Banten, Belitung, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Maluku (province)

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KELOMPOK PEDULI LINGKUNGAN

Equator Initiative Case Studies Local sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES

Local and indigenous communities across the world are 126 countries, the winners were recognized for their advancing innovative sustainable development solutions achievements at a prize ceremony held in conjunction that work for people and for nature. Few publications with the United Nations Convention on Climate Change or case studies tell the full story of how such initiatives (COP21) in Paris. Special emphasis was placed on the evolve, the breadth of their impacts, or how they change protection, restoration, and sustainable management over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories of forests; securing and protecting rights to communal with community practitioners themselves guiding the lands, territories, and natural resources; community- narrative. The Equator Initiative aims to fill that gap. based adaptation to climate change; and activism for The Equator Initiative, supported by generous funding environmental justice. The following case study is one in from the Government of Norway, awarded the Equator a growing series that describes vetted and peer-reviewed Prize 2015 to 21 outstanding local community and best practices intended to inspire the policy dialogue indigenous peoples initiatives to reduce poverty, protect needed to take local success to scale, to improve the global nature, and strengthen resilience in the face of climate knowledge base on local environment and development change. Selected from 1,461 nominations from across solutions, and to serve as models for replication. PROJECT SUMMARY KEY FACTS

On an archipelago off the east coast of that Equator Prize Winner has been devastated by mining and unmitigated 2015 industrial development, Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung (KPLB) is working to rehabilitate, protect, Founded and sustainably manage coastal resources. The 1997 group has effectively created three programs that balance environmental protection with ecotourism, Location including the Kepayang Island Conservation Center; the Mendanau Conservation Center; and Belitung Archipelago, Indonesia the Batu Mentas Nature Reserve and Tarsius Sanctuary. Beneficiaries Scuba diving, jungle treks, river tubing, tarsius expeditions, mangrove tours, homestays, fishing tours, 200 direct beneficiaries; 500 indirect beneficiaries and boat rentals all are by and directly benefit the Areas of focus local population. The group has successfully advocated for the creation of a regional marine conservation plan Marine protected area, mangrove forest restoration, that includes no-take and sustainable fishing zones protection of endangered species, ecotourism as well as five island turtle conservation areas, where more than 17,000 baby turtles have been released over Sustainable Development Goals Addressed the past five years. More than 45,000 mangrove trees have been replanted to date, and the group oversees community nurseries that cultivate 20,000 seedlings.

110° 120° INDONESIA 1. 16. TIMUR LAO 2. 17. P.D.R. 3. BANGKA-BELITUNG 18. 4. 19. MALUKU UTARA 5. 20. NUSA TENGGARA BARAT A Bangkok VIET NAM Manila

N 6. 21. NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR

D CAMBODIA 7. IRIAN JAYA 22. A 8. 23. SELATAN

G Phnom Penh M 9. 24. SULAWESI TENGAH u l A f 10. JAWA BARAT 25. SULAWESI TENGGARA

o N f 11. JAWA TENGAH 26. SULAWESI UTARA T SOUTH 10° h 12. JAWA TIMUR 27. SUMATERA BARAT S a i E la SEA 13. KALIMANTAN BARAT 28. SUMATERA SELATAN nd A SULU SEA 14. KALIMANTAN SELATAN 29. SUMATERA UTARA 15. KALIMANTAN TENGAH 30.

Banda Aceh DARUSSALAM S t r Bandar Seri Begawan a Kepulauan 1 it Natuna Talaud Langsa Besar CELEBES o f Sangihe P A CIFIC OCEAN Kuala Lumpur M MALAYSIA Tebingtinggi a SEA A la 26 E Simeulue c Tanjungredep S c a Padangsidempuan A 22 Kepulauan 16 C Nias 29 Riau 6 C U

Equator Kepulauan G M Waigeo Payakumbuh Kalimantan L 0° t 0° Sumatra Lingga Teluk Tomini o i r O

Pontianak o 13 a Palu 24 n Manokwari r ta Biak Selat t lo M B S a o 15 19 ca ti Bangka Kartimata Peleng n a Biak Jambi law Balikpapan Sa Yapen Siberut 27 9 Palangkaraya Sulawesi Pangkalpinang r Obi Misool Teluk a Sungaipenuh s (Celebes) Kepulauan Cenderawasih a 3 s l C E R pur 28 14 Sula A M i S ra Billiton a S E

a k P 23 T ai Ut n Ceram A g a a e Pa at Greater APU el l u agai S n M Pare Pare u Wamena P u asi Laut k Kendari l Lahat Banjarm u B k o 7 g Sunda Islands n Ambon A en e 25 B 5 Kotabumi J A c 18 New V A M Timika Enggano 17 S E A Guinea u Buton c 8 11 n da Jakarta ya Ujungpandang a Sun ba Kepulauan Selat ra BALI SEA Selajar B ANDA SEA g u Madura Kangean a Aru 4 an S er g S n Selat Madura s u 10 A Kepulauan lo Babar dd 12 2 r Dolak an Tanimbar B ta 30 National capital r r Merauke a i k a l k 21 TIMOR-LESTE a s a o m 20 SAVU SEA gy b Provincial capital Yo a B a p m r Timor 10° n o a 10° e L t Town, village Christmas I. D a Sumba () M Sawu International boundary Roti TIMOR SEA Provincial boundary Ashmore Is. (AUSTRALIA) Cartier I. Darwin Main road (AUSTRALIA) Gulf of Secondary road INDONESIACarpentaria Railroad 0 250 500 750 km The boundaries and names shown and the designations Major airport used on this map do not imply official endorsement or 0 250 500 mi acceptance by the United Nations. AUSTRALIA 100° 110° 120° 130° 140°

Map No. 4110 Rev. 4 UNITED NATIONS Department of Peacekeeping Operations January 2004 Cartographic Section

EQUATOR PRIZE 2015 WINNER FILM

The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations or UNDP concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

The Belitung Archipelago, comprised by Belitung Island The Indonesian film (‘The Rainbow Troops’) (4,800 square kilometres) and 207 smaller islands, is was filmed on Belitung in 2008. The film became one the located off of the eastern coast of Sumatra in the Karimata highest grossing and most-watched movies in Indonesia, Strait, which connects the and the Java and the movie’s lush cinematography sparked a tourism Sea. To the west of Belitung lies the larger boom on Belitung. A number of Indonesian air carriers (12,000 square kilometres). Together these islands make currently offer direct, one-hour flights to Belitung from up Bangka-Belitung Islands Province. Bangka and Belitung the country’s capital, Jakarta. Belitung’s white sand have rich tin deposits and are also famous for producing beaches fringed by picturesque granite boulders and clear pepper, one of the finest white peppers in the turquoise waters make the island a particularly attractive world. Fishing is also an important source of livelihoods on destination for snorkelers and divers. both islands. Belitung’s population is diverse and includes a mix of , Chinese, Javanese, Bugis, and Madurese.

4 LOCAL CHALLENGES

Tin mining

Indonesia is the second largest exporter of tin, providing Because tin is a major component in the manufacture of nearly a third of the global supply. Ninety percent of electronic devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, Indonesia’s tin comes from Bangka-Belitung Islands and tablets, demand for the metal remains high. As Province, where the industry employs 60 percent of the terrestrial deposits are being exhausted on Bangka and population directly or indirectly. There is also widespread Belitung, companies have begun mining for tin on the illegal mining on both islands, resulting in dozens of ocean floor with suction hoses and dredges. Offshore accidental deaths each year. Tin mining is poorly regulated mining has ruined coral reefs and fishing grounds, and has caused severe environmental degradation on resulting in tensions between miners and fisherfolk. Some both islands. Mining has cleared large swaths of native fishing communities on Bangka report an 80 percent drop forests, removed valuable topsoil, produced habitat in catch and attribute the cause to ocean mining. Mining fragmentation, altered the hydrological functioning of is widely practised on the seabed around Bangka and rivers, and contaminated water sources. Abandoned nearly half of its coral reefs are considered to be in critical mines do not undergo remediation and remain barren condition. In 2012, 10,000 Belitung residents successfully wastelands for years. In addition, many mining pits pool protested for the revocation of seabed mining permits. with water, providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes However, the resumption of offshore mining around that carry malaria and dengue fever. Belitung remains a threat. Deforestation

In the 1990s, companies began establishing palm oil forests to mining and palm oil plantations. More than plantations on Belitung. Today, 40 percent of the island is two-thirds of the island’s critical mangrove forests have a palm oil monoculture that provides no suitable habitat also been cleared. Many of the island’s remaining forests for many native species, including the endemic Belitung are highly degraded and are further threatened by illegal Island Tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus saltator). Since logging. 2000, Belitung has lost nearly 10 percent of its remaining Destructive fishing practices

For many years, fishermen on Belitung Island practised coral reefs and to the productivity of local fisheries. These dredging, bomb fishing, and used potassium cyanide practices have reduced fish harvests and have negatively to increase fish harvests, causing immense damage to impacted the ecosystem services provided by coral reefs.

5 LOCAL RESPONSES

Creation of a marine conservation zone

In 2006, KPLB, local fisherman, and other local NGOs using a revolving fund scheme to make new technologies began to lobby for the establishment of a marine affordable to fishermen. KPLB convened a large meeting conservation zone on the western coast of Belitung. of stakeholders on National Coral Day in 2011, resulting Working with local, provincial, and national authorities, in a formal declaration of the Belitung District Marine KPLB pressed its case for five years. The organization’s Conservation Zone. The Belitung District Marine initial successes in projects involving coral reef restoration, Conservation Zone is the first of its kind on Belitung and turtle conservation, and ecotourism bolstered the group’s a policy coup for KPLB. It includes a ‘no-take’ zone and a credentials with local government officials. In addition, sustainable fishing zone. The marine conservation zone KPLB worked with scientists and local communities to provides legal protections against the expansion of tin map marine habitats, gather data on yearly fish harvests, mining into the area, and its regulations forbid destructive and promote environmentally friendly fishing techniques fishing practices that were once common in the area.

KEY IMPACTS Creation of a marine conservation zone

■■ Successfully lobbied for the designation of a 20,000-hectare marine conservation zone, the first of its kind in the province.

6 Mangrove restoration

Selat Nasik Island, which lies to the west of Belitung, . Today, fisheries students receive hands-on has lost more than 80 percent of its mangrove forests to training in nursery care and replanting of mangrove mining, land conversion, and deforestation. In consultation seedlings, and serve as environmental ambassadors to the with island residents, KPLB proposed the creation of a local communities. Mangrove forests provide important mangrove conservation centre to help residents restore ecosystem services and their restoration is critical to mangrove forests. Initial work involved data collection and ensuring marine ecosystem resilience in the face of climate mapping to identify areas for rehabilitation and potential change. For example, mangroves provide habitat and crab aquaculture sites. Working with communities and the nurseries for commercial species of fish, crustaceans, and local secondary fisheries school, KPLB established several molluscs. They also provide critical protection to coastal community nurseries for raising mangrove seedlings areas against storm surges. and began replanting areas that had been cleared of

KEY IMPACTS Mangrove restoration

■■ Established several community-run mangrove nurseries and planted more than 45,000 mangrove seedlings in degraded mangrove forests on Selat Nasik Island. ■■ Established ecotourism programs based on mangrove conservation work.

Coral reef restoration

On Kepayang Island, KPLB runs a coral restoration tourists to actively participate in coral restoration. For a program. Here, fragments of living coral are collected and fee, tourists can ‘adopt a coral’ and place coral ‘seedlings’ mounted onto pins. The coral pins are then placed on the on the sea floor. The fees from the activity fund the coral shallow sea floor and allowed to mature. Once the corals restoration program. KPLB’s work on coral reef restoration have matured, they are transplanted onto reefs that have has encouraged communities in other villages to been damaged by dredging, bomb fishing, and other conserve and restore their own coral reefs using the same human activities. KPLB runs an education program about transplantation model. corals, annually celebrates national coral day, and allows

KEY IMPACTS Coral reef restoration

■■ Transplanted more than 11,000 corals onto damaged reefs.

7 Reforestation

In 2000, KPLB acquired an abandoned plot of land on a half old, the forest contains scores of native tree species Belitung. Half of the land had been mined for tin, while and has become a haven for wildlife. As a complementary the remainder was covered in scrub vegetation. KPLB staff strategy, in 2012 KPLB established a Biodiversity Garden in initiated a land reclamation and reforestation project, the village of Sijuk on Belitung. The biodiversity garden is which has evolved into the Belitung Forestry Park. The a centre for in situ and ex situ conservation of threatened goals of the Belitung Forestry Park are to increase forest and rare Belitung flora. The Biodiversity Garden also serves cover, to act as a seed bank for the conservation of native as an educational centre where students can learn about endangered trees, and to serve as a model for land Belitung Island’s biodiversity. reclamation and reforestation. Although only a decade and

KEY IMPACTS Reforestation

■■ Established the Belitung Forestry Park on 20 hectares of abandoned, mined land to serve as a model for forest restoration and conservation. ■■ Founded a 16-hectare biodiversity garden to preserve Belitung’s endangered flora.

8 Protecting endangered species

The eggs of sea turtles have traditionally been harvested and On the main island of Belitung, KPLB has established the Batu sold for consumption in the Belitung Archipelago. However, Mentas Nature Reserve and Tarsius Sanctuary. Here, visitors recent overharvesting of eggs has precipitated a decline can see endangered captive Belitung Island Tarsiers, learn in local populations of sea turtles. To address the issue, about their biology and ecology, and go on evening walks KPLB established a turtle conservation centre on Kepayang in the adjacent 500-hectare Tajam Hill protected forest to Island. The Kepayang Island Turtle and Coral Conservation view nocturnal tarsiers in the wild. The Tarsius Sanctuary is Center rescue turtle eggs and nurture them to hatchlings. changing local attitudes toward tarsiers. In the past, hunters Visitors to the centre can ‘adopt a turtle’ and physically thought the pint-sized primates were an omen of bad luck, release endangered green sea turtle hatchlings (Chelonia and would often kill them. Through educational programs, mydas) and critically endangered hawksbill turtle hatchlings hunters are now reporting sightings of the animals to the (Eretmochelys imbricata) into the sea for a fee. The fees help centre and are actively interested in conserving the species. to sustain the turtle conservation centre and its educational The captive tarsiers are currently being studied by scientists programmes. The charismatic sea turtles are very popular to better understand the habits and preferences of this with visitors and school children and serve as the flagship elusive animal. species for the centre’s marine conservation projects.

KEY IMPACTS Protecting endangered species

■■ Released 17,000 endangered sea turtle hatchlings to the wild by 2015, with plans to release an additional 2,500 hatchlings each year after. ■■ Created five groups committed to turtle conservation in nearby villages. ■■ Established the four-hectare Batu Mentas Nature Reserve and Tarsius Sanctuary to educate the public about conservation of the endangered Belitung Island Tarsier.

Sustainable ecotourism

All three of KPLB’s flagship programs include an than 50 homestays in 10 villages across the archipelago. ecotourism element. Kepayang Island has an ecolodge, The three ecotourism destinations and homestays provide a diving centre, and the sea turtle conservation centre. employment opportunities for guides, tourism companies, On Selat Nasik Island, tourists can visit the mangrove restaurateurs, handicraft makers, car rental companies, conservation centre and take boat tours to view mangrove water taxis, and a host of other services. Most important, forests and mangrove restoration sites. Batu Mentas offers ecotourism jobs offer island residents an opportunity to an eco-lodge, river tubing, jungle trekking, zip lines, forest transition away from environmentally- amazing work, canopy walks, and tarsier viewing. In addition to these such as illegal mining and illegal logging, to safer, more facilities, KPLB has facilitated the establishment of more environmentally-sustainable employment.

KEY IMPACTS Sustainable ecotourism

■■ Ecotourism projects have created more than 200 jobs in the archipelago.

9 Environmental education

All of KPLB’s projects include an environmental education self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable. Toward this component. KPLB strives to educate Belitung residents about end, KPLB engages in training, research, exchange studies, the environmentally destructive costs of tin mining, palm and community workshops. The mangrove restoration oil plantations, illegal logging, mangrove conversion, and centre, turtle conservation centre, and biodiversity garden bomb fishing. The organization tirelessly works to engage are used extensively in outreach programs for school stakeholders to envision a post-tin-dependent island that is children.

KEY IMPACTS Environmental education

■■ More than 165 students from universities in , Jogjakarta, Jakarta, and use KPLB facilities for research. ■■ More than 3,000 students have been involved in the environmental education program. ■■ Conferences have been held at three middle schools and three secondary schools to raise awareness of climate change, reaching 400 teachers, students, and community members. ■■ Memorandum of Understanding signed with Bangka Belitung University to support KPLB’s conservation, research, and environmental outreach projects.

10 POLICY IMPACTS

National policy impacts

The establishment of the Belitung District Marine against destructive offshore tin mining. Existing policies Conservation Zone has broad policy implications for that address illegal tin mining and land reclamation on marine conservation in Bangka-Belitung Islands Province. Belitung are weakly enforced. The establishment of the The marine conservation zone provides other fishing Belitung Forestry Park as a model of land reclamation communities in the archipelago with a legal precedent and reforestation may help to catalyse efforts to demand for protecting their fishing grounds and livelihoods stricter implementation of land reclamation policies. Contributions to the global agenda

KPLB’s integrated approach to landscape-level conservation terrestrial ecosystems deliver impressive results towards and livelihood development offer a powerful mechanism SDG 14 and SDG 15, while mangrove restoration additionally to deliver benefits across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable contributes to carbon sequestration and disaster risk Development. The organization’s focus on assessing reduction (SDG 13). KPLB also offers an impressive example community needs, teaching community members about of multi-stakeholder collaboration to deliver on the goals the benefits of conservation, and ensuring the provision of (SDG 17). The organization works with the private sector to environmentally friendly livelihoods contributes to SDG 1 ensure financial sustainability and to scale up their work, and SDG 8, while simultaneously ensuring local ownership research organizations to demonstrate the impact of their and therefore the sustainability of conservation initiatives. programmes, and government agencies to develop policies Concerted efforts to restore and conserve marine and that have the potential to enable scaling up across Indonesia.

11 REPLICATION AND SCALABILITY

Replication

Many of KPLB’s projects have been replicated across Nasik Mangrove Conservation Center – are designed Indonesia. When working in new areas, KPLB spends to be learning centres for students, scientists, tourists, extensive time consulting with communities. These and government officials; this collaborative approach consultations involve multiple stakeholders, including has also greatly facilitated learning and replication in NGOs, government, scientists, the private sector and the region. Two provinces on Bangka Island (Bangka residents. The community itself identifies problems and Tengah and Bangka Selatan) have used KPLB’s tactics as proposes potential solutions. KPLB facilitates discussions a template for their efforts to create marine conservation and uses a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and zones. Two districts in Province threats (SWOT) analysis framework to evaluate potential have also replicated KPLB’s turtle conservation program projects. This approach is relatively inexpensive, but in an attempt to increase turtle populations across the time-consuming. It is very effective in achieving multiple archipelago. stakeholder buy-ins, and is therefore highly replicable to similar projects in Indonesia and beyond. Obstacles to replication in Bangka-Belitung Islands Province include the economically and politically powerful tin All three of KPLB’s flagship projects – the Kepayang Island mining interests and local acceptance of environmentally- Turtle and Coral Conservation Center, the Batu Mentas damaging industries such as mining, palm oil plantations, Nature Reserve and Tarsius Sanctuary, and the Selat and destructive fishing. Scalability

In 2010, KPLB’s conservation and ecotourism projects were This promotion of KPLB’s approaches at the local and included in the local government’s strategic development national government scales indicates great potential for plans at the district level and were prominently featured government support to scale up action across Indonesia. In in the Sail Indonesia agenda (an annual yachting rally addition, many of KPLB’s activities – such as establishment that includes events and cultural activities). The Indonesia of a marine conservation zone, endangered species Ministry of Tourism has promoted KPLB’s homestays conservation, and ecotourism – show great potential to be and community-based tourism projects as models for scaled up at a regional level in the South China Sea area. replication in Raja Ampat, , and western Sumatra. Sustainability

KPLB has achieved a high degree of impact with relatively of food, souvenirs, guiding services, and transportation. modest funding. KPLB consciously designs its programs Currently, the costs of running the diving centre, turtle to avoid dependency on outside funding or expertise. hatchery, and tarsier sanctuary are covered by visitor The turtle conservation centre and tarsier sanctuary act as fees. KPLB also receives support from the private sector, economic engines for the local community, driving sales particularly local corporate social responsibility programs.

12 FUTURE PLANS

■■ Establish an environmental education centre and educate 1,000 children. ■■ Build a new state-of-the-art turtle breeding facility. ■■ Create a sanctuary for increasingly rare populations of deer. ■■ Develop six new community-based tourism centres in Bangka Belitung Islands Province. ■■ Develop a biodiversity garden to conserve rare, endemic species, to serve as an environmental education space, and to provide an ecotourism destination.

PARTNERS

■■ Perkumpulan Telapak Indonesia: Perkumpulan Telapak ■■ Local, provincial, and national government agencies: Indonesia supported KPLB’s advocacy work, network KPLB has forged strong partnerships with each of these development, and business plan development in order levels of government. These relationships were critical to strengthen the capacity of local communities. to the successful creation of the marine conservation ■■ UNDP-Implemented GEF Small Grants Programme zone. (SGP): SGP provided financial and technical support ■■ Universities and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences: to KPLB for ecotourism and conservation projects on These institutions have provided KPLB with the Belitung and Kepayang Islands, mangrove restoration technical knowledge to implement its conservation on Selat Nasik Island, and creation of the Batu Mentas programs. Nature Reserve and Tarsius Sanctuary. ■■ Private sector: Private sector partnerships with hotel ■■ Yayasan Kehati Biodiversity Conservation Trust Fund: and tourism companies are important to the long-term This fund provided financial support for the establishment viability of KPLB’s ecotourism projects. of the Biodiversity Garden in Sijuk Village.

SOURCES AND FURTHER REFERENCES

Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung Website. Available online here.

UNDP-Implemented GEF Small Grants Programme Indonesia, Stories from Belitung, 2014. Available online here.

13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude Budi Setiawan. All photo credits courtesy of Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan. Maps courtesy of the United Nations Geospatial Information Section and Wikipedia.

Editors Editor-in-Chief: Anne LS Virnig Contributing Editor: Maria G Caram

Writer Alan Pierce

Design Kimberly Koserowski

Suggested Citation United Nations Development Programme. 2019. Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung, Indonesia. Equator Initiative Case Study Series. New York, NY.

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