Garden to Forest Programme by Health In Harmony
Quantedge Advancement Initiative is supporting Health In Harmony, an international nonprofit dedicated to reversing the deforestation of tropical rainforests, to expand an agroforestry programme at Gunung Palung National Park in Indonesia.
Gunung Palung National Park is the only remaining intact lowland alluvial rainforest in Borneo. It houses a nearly complete inventory of all the island's fauna, including an estimated 2,500 of the approximately 54,000 remaining orangutans in Borneo. However, forest cover in the park has been reduced by slash-and-burn agriculture, the main driver of deforestation in the park.
The Garden to Forest programme was launched in 2016 to create rapid reforestation and biodiversity enrichment, while supporting local communities to live in harmony with the forest. It adopts a comprehensive approach by targeting the root cause of deforestation.
Gunung Palung National Park is the only remaining intact lowland alluvial rainforest in Borneo. It houses a nearly complete inventory of all the island's fauna, including an estimated 2,500 of the approximately 54,000 remaining orangutans in Borneo. However, forest cover in the park has been reduced by slash-and-burn agriculture, the main driver of deforestation in the park.
The Garden to Forest programme was launched in 2016 to create rapid reforestation and biodiversity enrichment, while supporting local communities to live in harmony with the forest. It adopts a comprehensive approach by targeting the root cause of deforestation.
A community garden at Gunung Palung National Park. (Photo by Arvian Heidir)
Through its local implementing partner, Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI), Health in Harmony will work with the National Park to reforest 49.5 hectares of community gardens into agroforestry plots. ASRI will also provide materials and technical assistance to support slash-and-burn farmers in their transition to sustainable agroforestry practices to secure their livelihoods.
Besides improving local farmers’ livelihoods, the programme will also provide co-benefits to the ecosystem, such as climate mitigation through reforestation, wildlife protection, and biodiversity enhancement.
Besides improving local farmers’ livelihoods, the programme will also provide co-benefits to the ecosystem, such as climate mitigation through reforestation, wildlife protection, and biodiversity enhancement.
A local farmer with his bean plants. (Photo by Kinari Webb)
Through this programme, we hope to empower rainforest communities to secure sustainable livelihoods, while enabling them to live harmoniously with nature and wildlife. We also hope that the Garden to Forest programme will inspire others to adopt innovative community- and nature-based solutions to protect ecosystems in Southeast Asia.
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