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> News > USU Faculty of Forestry Involved in the Development of the Elephant SRAK in Indonesia

USU Faculty of Forestry Involved in the Development of the Elephant SRAK in Indonesia

Published At

31 October 2022

Published By

Anonymous Writer

USU Faculty of Forestry Involved in the Development of the Elephant SRAK in Indonesia
Thumbnail USU Faculty of Forestry Involved in the Development of the Elephant SRAK in Indonesia
The elephant population in Indonesia is increasingly endangered. USU Faculty of Forestry actively contributes to the 2018–2028 Elephant Conservation Strategy and Action Plan.

Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Indonesia Face Growing Threats. The elephant population in Indonesia, spread across Sumatra and Kalimantan, is under increasing pressure, both in terms of population and habitat. According to the Indonesian Elephant Conservation Forum (FKGI), the elephant population is estimated to range between 2,400 and 2,800 individuals, scattered across seven provinces in Sumatra and North Kalimantan.


Elephants are listed as critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of the main threats is the rising number of human-elephant conflicts. Media outlets frequently report elephant deaths caused by poisoning or shooting by locals disturbed by elephants entering plantations and settlements. Additionally, elephant habitats face severe threats as most of their range lies in areas with high conflict levels. FKGI data shows that about 85% of elephant habitats are located outside conservation areas, spread across ten zones in Sumatra and Kalimantan.


To strengthen elephant conservation efforts, stakeholders have developed the 2007–2017 Elephant Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK Gajah). This official national document addresses the conservation of two elephant subspecies in Indonesia. Evaluating the implementation of the 2007–2017 SRAK Gajah, the Directorate of Biodiversity (KKH) under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry hosted a meeting in Bogor on August 7–8, 2017. The meeting was attended by 50 participants representing various stakeholders in elephant conservation across Indonesia.


The Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), represented by the Head of the Department of Forest Resource Conservation, Dr. Achmad Siddik Thoha, S.Hut., M.Si., participated in this meeting as a representative of higher education institutions. USU actively contributed to evaluating the 2007–2017 SRAK Gajah and drafting the 2018–2028 SRAK Gajah.


This meeting produced a draft for the 2018–2028 SRAK Gajah with the vision "Living Harmony Between Elephant and Human." Six main issues were discussed, including:

  1. Policy and Spatial Planning.
  2. Data and Information.
  3. Mitigating Human-Elephant Conflicts.
  4. Population and Habitat Management.
  5. Law Enforcement and Awareness.
  6. Elephant Utilization and Biomedical Conservation.

From these issues, strategies, action plans, timelines, and responsible parties were formulated. The draft SRAK Gajah is expected to become an official national document guiding all parties involved in elephant conservation in Indonesia.


During this meeting, USU’s Faculty of Forestry was proposed to become a member of FKGI. This inclusion is expected to enhance the faculty’s role in elephant conservation and forest preservation, particularly in North Sumatra.


Author: Achmad Siddik Thoha (12/8/2017)


 

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