Since 2020, CSF Indonesia has been at the forefront of conservation efforts in the Sintang Regency of Indonesia’s West Borneo Province, a region possessing vast rainforest coverage. In an ongoing collaboration with the Sintang Government, CSF Indonesia has been working tirelessly to implement a sustainable development plan for the province that will enable the region to grow economically while maintaining the valuable natural resources their communities depend on.
Rainforest protection is of utmost importance to Indonesia, as a sustainable use of its natural resources will people's well-being and livelihoods for years to come. Today, the rainforest covers 59% of the land in the Sintang Regency, and the team on this project aims to maintain and protect this forested area, improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers, and promote land-based green investment.
As a part of CSF’s ongoing work with the government of Sintang, CSF worked closely with the Rainforest Alliance to build a sustainable financing model for ecologically responsible economic development. This plan, entitled “The Business Case for Collective Landscape Action” will help realize the government’s vision for a Green Sintang by increasing sustainable economic growth in the region and provide recommendations for building local landscape partnerships, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, and protecting the biodiversity that the region of 12,000 people depend on.
CSF analyzed the landscape investment and financing strategy within the Business Case for Collective Landscape Action, conducted stakeholder analyses, and focus group discussions. The CSF team then provided our expertise to the Rainforest Alliance in the form of Financial Assessment Tools in coordination with Clarmondial, a roadmap to address any gaps, recommendations for the most effective financial tools, and economic policies for sustainable development in this biodiverse region. As experts in conservation economics education, CSF also produced a training module for private sector stakeholders interested in investing in the sustainability of this region.
We hope that these guidelines and the training module we provide the Sintang Government will be used by stakeholders across sectors to meet if not exceed their sustainability standards.
This study is funded by Rainforest Alliance Indonesia and in collaboration with the Sintang Government fund this project.