Abstract:
Sumatra holds extremely high biodiversity, yet its biodiversity is some of the most
endangered on Earth, threatened by rapid deforestation. Despite their protected status, some
national parks in Indonesia are under severe threat of deforestation due to lack of support
from local governments and communities. Batang Gadis National Park (BGNP) is one of
the first national parks established through a “bottom-up” process by local communities and
local government officials. The buffer zone of BGNP is established to extend 10km outside
the national park to reduce the impact of humans on species inside the park. However, the
buffer zone is densely populated and the population pressure has caused illegal logging and
forest clearing for agriculture and human settlement. The reforestation project is designed to
achieve forest rehabilitation and also socio-economic reform of local communities by
providing economic alternative income sources and resources. This study suggests priority
sites for reforestation projects by analyzing the ecological impacts and socio-economic
factors. GIS analysis was employed to examine ecological impacts and to select priority
sites. Social survey was used to understand the attitudes and expectations of local
communities toward reforestation projects and conservation. This study also provides some
suggestions for the effective implementation to achieve conservation goals and enhance
both the participation of local communities and their conservation awareness.
