Major Milestone: TaHuKah and North Sumatra Governor Sign MoU to Strengthen Biodiversity Protection

We are thrilled to announce that the Governor of North Sumatra has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with our frontline partner TaHuKah. This agreement is a powerful recognition of community-centered conservation and the importance of forest protection in the region.

Photo credit: Office of the Governor of North Sumatra Province

A Government Commitment to Biodiversity and Community Welfare

This MoU aims to strengthen the synergy between the provincial government and TaHuKah in the protection and conservation of the natural environment. It affirms North Sumatra’s government’s commitment to preserving forests while improving the welfare of communities living alongside key conservation areas.

Why is This Important?

Strengthen Collaboration: The MoU formalises the partnership between the provincial government and TaHuKah, allowing them to work collaboratively with forest management units (FMUs) at the landscape level.
Enable Data-Driven Decisions: It will open the flow of transparent data and information sharing between the government and TaHuKah, improving data collection, sharing, and monitoring biodiversity.
Orangutan Population Health: This deeper insight is essential for understanding the health and protection of orangutan populations in North Sumatra.

Photo credit: Office of the Governor of North Sumatra Province

TaHuKah’s Role in Achieving Net Zero Goals

Following the signing, Governor Bobby Nasution stressed the region’s role in supporting Indonesia’s national target of net zero emission by 2060, specifically mentioning the critical importance of preventing forest loss and degradation and the importance of collaboration, recognising the value that TaHuKah brings:

“North Sumatra can be an example in achieving Indonesia’s net zero emission target by 2060, and I even hope that we can achieve it faster, in 2045. Therefore, collaboration between the government and NGOs, such as TaHuKah is very important,”

Boosting Impact with Community-Centered Conservation

TaHuKah’s success is rooted in its dedication to supporting local people. Erwin Alamsyah Siregar, Director of TaHuKah, detailed their approach:

“We are developing a compensation scheme for the communities who live in and alongside areas of high conservation value, to involve them in the protection of their forests. Our aim is to reduce or stop deforestation altogether. This incentive-based approach recognizes the role of local communities as the rightful guardians of the forest.”

“This MoU is a significant achievement in our mission to protect North Sumatra’s forests. This agreement allows us to begin working with the forest management units (FMUs) at the landscape level, and contribute to the protection of biodiversity in all state forest areas under the provincial authority. ”

“This new level of partnership will ensure the long-term sustainability and scalability of our shared conservation goals.”