The Mendawak landscape of West Kalimantan
Mendawak is an ecologically significant yet largely unprotected landscape in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is characterized by critical orangutan habitat, deep peatland areas, tropical forest, and the province’s largest mangrove forest expanse. Harbouring exceptional biodiversity and providing a safe refuge for numerous threatened species, including four primates endemic to Borneo, significant biodiversity value lies in the region’s extensive peat swamp and mangrove forests. These habitats support diverse flora and fauna and serve as carbon stores.
Ensuring sustainable management of remaining forest will prevent the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere, preserve biodiversity, and shield human communities against climate-related impacts.
Mendawak harbours nationally important mangroves
Mendawak spans four districts: Kubu Raya, Ketapang, North Kayong, and Sanggau. Within this expanse lies a coastal zone with approximately 118,000 hectares of mangrove forest in Kubu Raya district.
Mangrove forests are made up of trees and shrubs in coastal intertidal zones. They are vital ecosystems, playing a crucial role in reducing flood risk by acting as natural barriers that slow down tidal waters, thus mitigating the impact of waves and storms. By reducing flooding risk, mangrove forests also help prevent coastal erosion. This is particularly important in West Kalimantan, where 1 in 2 people are exposed to significant flood risk, double the national average of 1 in 4. Mangroves also sequester 950 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year. As mangroves in Indonesia cover approximately 3.5 million hectares of land, roughly 23% of the world’s mangrove area, conservation of Indonesia’s mangroves is crucial to efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Unfortunately, Kubu Raya’s mangrove forests face several threats. Villagers harvest mangrove wood to produce charcoal, and limited livelihood options provide few opportunities to reduce dependency on deforestation. Corporate concessions have permit rights over substantial areas of mangrove forests, resulting in inconsistent management strategies throughout the region. Increased flood events in-turn increase the vulnerability of Kubu Raya’s farmers, threatening efforts to increase community capacity for village-led conservation efforts.
The Palung-Mendawak Biosphere Reserve
Recognising the value of Mendawak’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems, the government of West Kalimantan seeks to integrate Mendawak with the more southerly Palung landscape, home to the renowned Gunung Palung National Park. By nominating the integrated landscape as the Palung-Mendawak Biosphere Reserve, the government seeks UNESCO recognition of the landscape’s unique biodiversity potential. UNESCO's official recognition of a biosphere reserve creates a strategic platform that enhances stakeholders' capabilities to promote research, education, and business activities within an ecological framework.
This initiative is led by the West Kalimantan Provincial Environment and Forestry Service, with the support of Tanjungpura University. Sangga Bumi Lestari is proud to be providing technical support to the initiative, advocating for multi-stakeholder cooperation for enhanced conservation at the landscape level. Through this cooperation, all landscape actors can develop the necessary strategies to protect the Palung-Mendawak landscape’s unique ecosystems.