Jun 27, 2010

International Workshop on Orangutan Conservation

Event. The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry’s Nature Conservation and Forest Protection Agency (PHKA), in cooperation with the Indonesian Orangutan Forum (FORINA), has organized the International Workshop on Orangutan Conservation (IWOC) to be held at the Sanur Beach Hotel in Bali on July 15 and 16, 2010. The event, supported of the USAID Orangutan Conservation Services Program (OCSP) and 16 conservation organizations in Indonesia, will focus around the theme “What does the future hold for the man of the forest?”

Background.Orangutans are Asia’s only great ape and are icons of Indonesia’s wondrous lowland rainforest. Found only on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, orangutans are classified as endangered and are protected by Indonesian law. However, the development of forest resources, which assists Indonesia to achieve economic development, places the forests where orangutans live under threat. The rapid rate of deforestation that has resulted over the past 20 years has come at a great cost to orangutans. In 2007, orangutan conservationists and scientists, government officials, community members and private sector representatives initiated a process of working together to seek viable solutions to ensure the orangutan’s continued survival amidst Indonesia’s drive for economic development. This resulted in the formalization of the Ministry of Forestry’s National Strategy and Action Plan for Orangutan Conservation. The National Action Plan, announced by the Indonesian President at the Bali Climate Conference, is a multi‐stakeholder conservation strategy that incorporates public, private, and local interests, and finds common ground in orangutan conservation among stakeholders with various interests. The IWOC will build upon the multistakeholder process that resulted in the National Action Plan by again bringing together representatives of key groups and seek collaboration in ensuring a secure future for the orangutan in Indonesia.

Participants.It is expected that one hundred and fifty to two hundred individuals from a range of organizations will take part in the work shop. Participants will represent local and international conservation organizations, private companies, bilateral and multilateral organizations, research institutions and the Indonesian government. Senior officials of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and the United States Embassy are also expected to attend the workshop. Miss Indonesia 2008 and current Orangutan Goodwill Ambassador, Zivanna Letisha Siregar, will serve as master of ceremonies.

Workshop Objective.The workshop aims to create a road map for increased participation and collaboration by scientists, conservationists, government agencies, private companies, and local communities in orangutan conservation, and to detail specific action they will take individually and collectively to help save Asia’s only great ape.

Program.The workshop will be opened by the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. This will be followed by a brief review of current issues and workshop aims by Professor Bungaran Saragih, a former Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. The first day will continue with four plenary sessions, on policy revisions (presented by the National Forestry Council – DKN), sustainable financing (KEHATI –the Indonesia Biodiversity Foundation), research to improve orangutan habitat management (Professor Carel van Schaik of Zurich University), and the rehabilitation and release of orangutan into the wild by 2015 (Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation and PanEco‐SOCP). These topics will be discussed further in breakout sessions during the afternoon. On the second day, four stakeholder forums consisting of government, NGOs, the private sector, and researchers and supporters will discuss current conservation issues and develop recommendations to support the long‐term survival of the orangutan. They will present these recommendations at the final plenary session, to be conveyed to the Ministry of Forestry and FORINA at the workshop close. Displays. The event will also feature displays by conservation organizations and private companies that showcase their innovative projects and activities to save the orangutan and its habitat.

About FORINA

The Indonesian Orangutan Forum (FORINA) was established to act as the catalyst to take the 2007 National Strategy and Action Plan for Orangutan Conservation from concept to implementation. As a central local coordinating body for orangutan conservation in Indonesia, FORINA encourages cooperation among the numerous stakeholders whose actions impact orangutan survival. FORINA has also been set up to communicate conservation successes and challenges to national and international audiences, and establish linkages to support orangutan conservation programs both within Indonesia and globally. The International Workshop on Orangutan Conservation is supported by OCSP‐USAID, PERHAPPI, WWF Indonesia, FFI Indonesia, WCS Indonesia, CI Indonesia, TNC Indonesia, PanEco‐YEL, FZS, BOSF, OFI, OF‐UK, YAYORIN, GRASP, UNESCO, SOS‐OIC, YLI

For more information about this event and USAID‐OCSP’s work to save Indonesian orangutans, please contact Mika Maharani GC, OCSP Communication Manager, at mika_gynecologia@dai.com, or visit the OCSP website: www.theworldiswatching.info

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