KEBERLANJUTAN

PT Eagle High Plantations, Tbk (EHP) a company engaged in the palm oil industry operating in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua initiated a program ‘Dumaring Village Mangrove Conservation’ to enhance mangrove forest ecosystems by integrating restoration and rehabilitation with protection, alongside sustainable utilisation through collaborative actions. The program is designed for a 25-year period starting since July 2022 and is located in Dumaring Village, Talisayan District, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan Province. This area is part of the renowned Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat karst landscape, a unique landscape listed on UNESCO’s tentative list for World Heritage Site nomination

Mangrove forest in Dumaring Village is under serious threat, with coastal erosion being particularly severe; as a consequence, numerous mangrove trees along the littoral have perished, and the overall condition of the mangroves has worsened. The village and its inhabitants are exposed to seawater intrusion, seawater penetration, and floods, among other terrifying consequences, as a result of this threatening circumstance. Destruction of mangroves results in the loss of food security, coastal protection, means of livelihood, and one of the most effective and vital carbon sinks on the planet.

For that, EHP has implemented the Dumaring Village Mangrove Restoration and Rehabilitation Program, with the legal status of Kampung Land covering an area of 447 hectares, has been designated as a Kampung Conservation Area through Dumaring Village Regulation No. 4/2022 concerning Maintenance and Preservation of Mangrove Areas for Sustainable Community Economic Improvement.

EHP together with program partners have built a nursery where seed production and seed care are carried out by Dumaring villagers. By the end of 2023, the nursery center has produced 61,538 mangrove seedlings and 30,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted with the involvement of around 100 local people.

This program is carried out through a landscape approach where there is involvement between stakeholders primarily EHP as the funding provider, PT Gagas Dinamiga Aksenta (Aksenta) as the Program Manager and Implementer, KPH Berau Pantai, Dumaring Village Government, and Dumaring Mangrove Management Institution. Apart from the executing parties, other stakeholders are also involved, notably the Dumaring Village community as the program beneficiaries, governmental institutions, and sectoral agencies such as Talisayan District, Berau Regency Government, East Kalimantan Provincial Government, and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, overseeing technical aspects of Mangrove and Coastal Management.

This step reinforces the EHP’s commitment to sustainable production and landscape protection under its responsible sourcing strategy. This is part of our commitment to sustainable production, which means that the EHP must also protect the areas around the plantations that are the source of our raw materials.