Saving Sumatra
Thu, October 16 2008
The commitment has been endorsed by governors of all provinces across Sumatra, the world’s sixth-largest island.
Sumatra is the only place on Earth where tigers, elephants, orangutans and rhinos co-exist. One forest on the island, Tesso Nilo, has the greatest vascular plant diversity of any lowland forest ever studied – with more than twice the plant species in the Amazon.
“This agreement commits all the Governors of Sumatra’s 10 provinces, along with the Indonesian Ministries of Forestry, Environment, Interior and Public Works, to restore critical ecosystems in Sumatra and protect areas with high conservation values,” said Hermien Roosita, Deputy Minister of Environment.
“The Governors will work together to develop ecosystem-based spatial plans that will serve as the basis for future development.”
WWF and other conservation groups working in Sumatra will help implement the political commitment to protect what remains of the island’s species-rich forests and critical areas.
“This commitment is monumental and offers real hope for Sumatra’s majestic tropical forests, which harbor some of the world’s rarest species and provide livelihoods for millions of people,” said Tom Dillon, WWF’s Vice President for Field Programs.
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