This presentation by Rimba Makmur Utama held at the Forests Asia summit during the discussion forum "Climate change: Low-emissions development and societal welfare – trade offs, risks and power struggles in forest and climate change policy arenas" focuses on the opportunities for REDD+ in Indonesia's Tropical Peatlands, it gives an overview of the Katingan Peatland Restoration and Conservation Project and shows in that context the specific challenges the project is facing.

1. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Katingan Peatland Restoration and
Conservation Project
Forests Asia Summit 2014
Climate change: Low-emissions development and
societal welfare – trade offs, risks and power struggles
in forest and climate change policy arenas

2. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Opportunities for REDD+ in Indonesia’s Tropical Peatlands
• Indonesia has 22.5 million hectares of
peatland, approx. 12% of its land
• Emissions from peatlands in 2005
amounted to 41% of Indonesia’s total
GHG emissions
Key Facts:
Source: Hooijer, et al (2006)

3. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Overview of Katingan Peatland Restoration and Conservation
Project
Priority % Activities
Non-Forest
area
12.74%
Fire prevention & mitigation, rewetting,
rehabilitation heavily degraded areas, canal
blocking, native species planting
Disturbed
Forest
34.21%
Rehabilitation of degraded areas, canal
blocking, restoration and enrichment
planting, protection and enforcement
Intact Forest 50.05%
Natural regeneration, protection and
enforcement, wildlife habitat management
Total 100%
• Project developer: PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
• Concession: IUPHHK-RE (Ecosystem Restoration)
• Location: Kotawaringin Timur and Katingan District,
Central Kalimantan
• Total area: 203,570 hectares
• State forest designation:
 Production forest (HP): 87.91%
 Convertible production forest (HPK): 12.09%

4. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Business as usual scenario
Large-scale forest conversion and GHG emissions from
peat decomposition and fires

5. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Business as usual scenario
©WWF

6. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Business as usual scenario
©WWF

7. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Business as usual scenario
©WWF

8. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Business as usual scenario
©WWF

9. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Business as usual scenario
©WWF

10. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Business as usual scenario
©WWF

11. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Ecosystem Restoration Concession License
Additionality: The additional carbon
storage resulting from forest
management activities additional to
"Business as Usual". In the case of
avoided deforestation, fewer forest
loss than expected.
IUPHHK-RE: Ecosystem Restoration
- Law was created in 2007 and revised in 2008
- Applicable in areas designated as production
forest
- Permit holder can secure rights to sell
carbon credits
- 60 years with the possibility of 35 years
extension
- 1st concession: Harapan Rainforest, a 52,000
hectare concession in lowland rainforest in
Sumatera (total 13 ERCs as of today)
Permanence: Ensuring that the net
stored forest carbon remains stored
over time.

12. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
The applicant submits
application letter,
technical proposal and
supporting documents
May 2008
The Minister of Forestry
(MoF) designates forest
areas for an ecosystem
restoration concession
May 2009
The Director General of
Forestry Production
Development examines
the application package if
all requirements are in
place
The Director General of
Forestry Production
Development requests
confirmation from the
Director General of
Planning that there is no
overlapping permits
Upon confirmation, the Director
General of Forestry Production
Development forms a team to
assess the technical proposal
The applicant presents the
proposal to the team
May 2009
If the proposal is approved, the
MoF issues a letter designating
the applicant as the prospective
concession holder and
instructing the applicant to
complete a partial
environmental impact
assessment within 150 days
(SP1)
June 2009
The Provincial or District
Environmental Agency approves
the EIA document submitted by
the applicant
Feb 2012
Upon EIA approval, the MoF
instructs the Director General of
Planning to produce a
concession boundary map
(SP2)
Feb 2012
Upon the completion of the
map, the Director General of
Forestry Production
Development submitted a draft
Ministerial Decree granting the
concession to the Secretary
General
Apr 2012
The Secretary General checks
legal compliance of the process
and submits the draft decree to
the Minister
June 2012
Minister of Forestry
signs the concession
October 2013
Ecosystem Restoration Concession Application Process
Milestones

13. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Media exposure
“The Katingan project is perhaps
the last best chance for a
commercial scheme in Indonesia.
It is the country's biggest by far”
http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesias-green-
legacy-in-peril-20131007-
2v46f.html#ixzz2hAz75DFA
''If we fail to get this, we'll
never reach the tipping
point of making the
argument of REDD or
sustainability work”

14. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Ecosystem Restoration License

15. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Challenges: Reality Check
• Forest Governance: Legal Clarity
• Lack of understanding of REDD+ resulting in unrealistic expectations
• Lack of clarity in division of roles and responsibilities between central
and local governments and among sectors
• The need for transparent and accountable benefit distribution schemes
• Carbon Accounting: Credible Baseline Data
• Balancing national and sub-national approach
• Expensive and lengthy process in developing methodologies
• Market Uncertainties: Short-term vs. Long-term Return
• Limited REDD transaction in the voluntary market
• Uncertainty of the future of REDD in compliance market

16. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Recommendations: Putting Theory into Practice
• Develop a Proof of Concept
• Promote and/or scale up project-level REDD+ initiatives
• Strengthen forest governance, secure community benefits, and develop
jurisdictional, nested carbon accounting and monitoring
methodologies
• Communicate lessons learned to wider stakeholders
• Prime the Pump
• Create a fund to support early REDD+ demonstration projects
• Create opportunities for public private partnerships
• Build the Technological Capacity
• Support the development and application of advanced remote sensing
technologies
• Enhance the accuracy and consistency of forest stratification and peat
measurement

17. PT. Rimba Makmur Utama
Thank you