By Masayu Yulien Vinanda

Jakarta (29/09)-The Government of Indonesia agreed to pay the United States $ 28.5 million in debt to fund forest conservation and climate change mitigation effort particularly in Kalimantan forest where a significant population of orangutans exist.

Under the US. Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA), Indonesia will be able to reduce its debt by the agreed amount during the upcoming eight years by committing those funds to restore the country’s tropical forest. This was the second “debt-for-nature-swap"" agreement signed by Indonesia and the US. The TFCA1 was agreed in 2009 to support forest conservation efforts in Sumatra island.

Marking the TFCA2 agreement, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the two swap partners, WWF and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), on Thursday (29/09) in the office of the coordinating minister for the economy, Lapangan Banteng, Central Jakarta. The agreement provides support grants for those two organizations to fund conservation effort which will be organized by local communities.

As an initial step, TFCA2 program will focus on three districts which are Berau and Kutai Barat (East Kalimantan) and Kapuas Hulu (West Kalimantan). As swap partner, WWF will act as Oversight Committee to ensure that the program as well as the community empowerment activities are in line with TFCA goals and WWF’s conservation mission.

According to WWF-Indonesia Supervisory Board Arief Surowidjojo, TFCA2 is a significant step forward in efforts to protect one of the world’s richest forest ecosystems. Conserving Borneo forest also means provides economic security for the millions of people depending on those forest resources.

“The TFCA 2 program expands the support for Berau Forest Carbon Program and Heart of Borneo in Berau and Kutai Barat Districts which are still largely populated by primary natural forests and have the potential for expanding economic development on degraded area,” he emphasized. Furthermore, Arief added, other priority area, Kapuas Hulu district also has the potential for linking landscapes around Danau Sentarum and Betung Kerihun National Parks to conserve habitat for orangutans as well as protect carbon-rich peat swamps.

Representing TNC, Forest Pogram ad-interim Director Ade Soekadis said, TFCA2 is expected to be able to support TNC works in Berau, providing assistances to the local government and community in the area in conducting sustainable and low emission development program focusing on conservation.

“Forest carbon program in Berau focuses on how we empower the local community and indigenous peoples in order to enable them implement sustainable use of forest resources,” he said.