Date: November 13(Tur.) 17：00～18：30
Venue:E107, 1st floor of East Building, CSEAS
Presentation:
1. Shoko Kobayashi (G-COE Researcher)
"PROPOSED GIAM SIAK KECIL BUKIT BATU BIOSPHERE RESERVE RIAU,SUMATRA"
2. Takahisa Hayashi (Associate Professor, RISH)
1. Description of Riau site by Dr. Yoshiko Kobayashi
The site is a mosaic of 2 protected areas connected by reservation forest (natural forest) of a timber plantation concession affiliated with Sinar Mas Forestry, surrounded by a timber and oil palm plantation. The total area or 78,000 ha is now being proposed as an area for Biosphere Reserved management pioneered by UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is an area of terrestrial and coastal/marine ecosystem, or a combination thereof, which is internationally recognized within the framework of UNESCO’s Program on Man and Biosphere. Biosphere Reserve areas are established to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and biosphere. The Biosphere Reserve concept is a robust alternative approach and tool towards achieving sustainable development.
The three functions of Biosphere Reserve are (1) Conservation: to conserve genetic, species, ecosystems and landscape resources; (2) Development: to enhance the economy of the community and human welfare; (3) Logistic support: to support pilot projects, environmental education and training, research and monitoring related to conservation and sustainability.
The site is design into 3 types of management, (1) core area that covers 17900 ha, (2) buffer zone area that covers 22200 ha, and (3) transition area that covers 30400 ha. The vegetation in the core area is natural forest, the vegetation in the buffer zone are Acacia carssicarpa and Eucaliputas pelita plantations, meanwhile the transition zone is covered by oil palm plantation, paddy fields and other types of agriculture.
In this site, Intitiative 3 would like to conduct collaborative research with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the Ministry of Forestry (Indonesia), the University of Riau, Reasearch & Development Division of Sinarmas
2. Description on the project proposal by Dr. Hayashi Takahisa
The "Riau Biosphere Reserve Project" by Sinar Mas is being implemented with certain goals which are: (1) to improve the image of the company, (2) conservation of forests, (3) RDD revenues, and (4) to try to promote eco-tourism.
The G COE Initiative 3 is proposing collaborative research projects in this area with research topic as follows:
1.Collaborative natural resource management between local community and timber plantation (equitable partnerships between corporate and small-holder partners in timber plantation industry)
Culture
Empowerment of local people
Eco-tourism
Illegal logging and encroachment
2.Dynamic evaluation of forest biomass in plantation forest using ground-based and satellite remote sensing data
3.Water/carbon cycle and soil moisture control, hydrogical mapping, weather observation in the peat swamp
4.Case study on biofuel production: from pulp to bioethanol
5.Biodiversity observation of Riau biosphere reserve
Aquatic and Terrestrial (Conservation status)
Valuation and development
6.Atmospheric observation by EAR (tentative)
7.Peat land Management and conservation
Fire peat land
Hydrology management
Restoration
Peat land physical and nutrition improvement
3. Discussions/comments on the proposal
(1) The social research topic as mentioned in topic 1 is regarded a very difficult task for Kyoto University to carry out. The subject especially empowerment of the locality is more suitable to be conducted by an institution that can stay and study/assist the community over a long period of time such as a NGOs or local university (Tanaka).
(2) In the field, the condition of the core area is logged over natural forest of peat land (from observation in the field). Inside the core zone, there are some settlements and illegal logging is still a big problem. The acacia plantation built around the core zone is expected to prevent more settlements from growing inside the conservation area (Mizuno).
(3) This special type/system of conservation management is interesting as a subject to be studied. When Universities need to do research, they have to collaborate with the company. We need to think something in order to prevent problems in the future concerning bad operations by the company with which they collaborate. Can this collaboration be done without jeopardizing the University name? The question arises (Tanaka). In the MOU Kyoto University with other collaborating institutions can we formulate something to prevent this? Such as: a researcher’s position as a person with a neutral stance (Tanaka).
4. Future Plans
An international workshop is planned around February, 2009 in Riau. This workshop will be organized though the collaboration of R&D Sinarmas, LIPI, Kyoto University (G-COE), the University of Riau (Research Center) and KSDA (Forest Department). It was hoped by this time the MOU will be agreed.
(Retno Kusumaningtyas)