The Tripa peatswamp forests are currently being destroyed by the Indonesian palm oil company P.T. Astra Agro Lestari (AAL), a subsidiary of Astra International, owned by the UK based company Jardine Matheson.
Tripa peatswamp forests
The AAL concession is located within an area of forest which provides a green buffer zone that protects communities from the effects of future storms or an tsunami. The area lies within the Leuser Ecosystem, an area of outstanding, world-renowned biodiversity value.
The UNEP/UNESCO Great Ape Survival Programme (GRASP) lists Tripa as a priority site for the critically endangered Sumatran Orangutans as it supports the highest density of these apes found anywhere in the world. The area is also important for livelihoods of local people, providing food and shelter.
Conversion into palm oil plantation
AAL is clearing the peatswamp forest and draining it to make way for oil palm cultivation. Drainage of the plantations also automatically drains the forest far outside of the concession area. As a result these remaining forest die as well. Finally, Tripa’s forests and especially the organic peatsoils contain an impressive carbon stock. Logging and drainage will cause the loss of this stock, contributing to global climate change. Read more on peatlands and climate change.
Laws & policies
There are many policies and laws in place to protect the area from development. Evidence shows that Astra Agro Lestari’s activities in Tripa are contravening these fundamental Indonesian laws. For example, AAL has planted oil palms on deep peat (which is illegal) and continues to use the illegal practice of burning as a method of land clearance. Click on the left to see a list of these policies and laws.
Another legal requirement is that a study of Environmental Impact is done prior to commencing operations and be approved by local stakeholders. AAL and Jardine Matheson claim to have conducted this, however, they were not made available to any relevant stakeholders (Aceh government, Environment Ministry in Aceh, local communities, associations). This implies that these Environmental Impact studies, if existing, have never been approved by Nagan Raya District, or the Aceh Government.
Map: the area of the yellow boundary is the Tripa peatland. The purple areas are the zones of the different palm oil companies, with AAL in the lowest zone close to the coast. click to enlarge. Download the overflight report with all the details and maps. You can also read the information sheet on the degradation of Tripa.