Containing some of the richest biodiversity left on earth, the forest ecosystems in Aceh form the largest remaining contiguous forested area in South East Asia. It is virtually all that is left of the extensive Sundaland forests that once covered southern Thailand, southern Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Stretching from Lake Toba in North Sumatra to Banda Aceh, the 33,000 square kilometres of forest extend from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the Malacca Straights and are contained within the Leuser Ecosystem to the south, and the Ulu-Masen Forest Complex in the north.
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Approximately 70% of Aceh province is mountainous and largely unsustainable for cultivation. People living in the fertile lowland plains depend on water to irrigate rice fields, furnish industries and for their domestic consumption. Successful conservation of the Leuser and Ulu Masen forest ecosystems will ensure continuous provision of water supply to 60% of the Acehnese population, help in flood prevention and the mitigation of erosion, while sustaining the largest biodiversity corridor in South East Asia. If priced correctly, the total value of these services for Aceh alone can easily exceed half a billion dollars annually. The preservation of Aceh’s magnificent forest heritage is vital for the provinces recovery, reconstruction and for the future of its people.
