Please describe your proposed solution.
<u>Context:</u>
RIMBA is a non-profit organisation and an ecolodge working hand in hand to foster the development of a sustainable tourism.
Sumatra Island in Indonesia holds the infamous record of the fastest deforestation rate in the world. Measured by surface, half of the palm oil plantations in Indonesia are found here. Indonesian biodiversity is also severely threatened by forest fire, selective logging of wild tree species (sought after for home decoration and furniture) as well as poaching of animals (captured as pet or hunted for their skin or as Chinese traditional medicine ingredients …).
Protected areas have been established throughout the nation. However, some are too small to support sustainable populations of vertebrates. On top of that, little funds are allocated for monitoring and protection and several areas are still being deforested and exploited despite their protected status.
That’s why Rimba committed to conserve biodiversity-rich habitats through creating new protected forest areas through acquisition of forest concessions.
Facing an impending disaster, Rimba undertook to tackle the land ownership issue by acquiring protected forests areas to be jointly managed by the government, local population and Rimba in order to protect the resident wild animals and plants.
Improving the quality of the animals’ habitat and reducing forest fragmentation through reforestation.
Rimba is restoring freshly open agricultural land and creating natural wildlife corridors so as to widen the nature reserve, increase the biodiversity and maintain genetically sustainable animal populations to speed up forest regeneration.
Implementing physical protection of existing natural reserves as well as new acquisitions.
The efficiency of a protected area is significantly more correlated to rangers density, the associated dissuasive presence and how clearly protected areas’ boundaries are indicated rather than rangers’ actual power to enforce regulations. So it’s essential to set up forest ranger patrols and visible marking of the reserve’s boundaries.
Conservation
- Improves how efficiently is protected Muaro Duo natural reserve, which represents itself 55’000 tons of sequestrated CO2 yearly and thousands of animal and vegetal species.
Carbon storage
- With 1000 trees planted per hectare, assuming a survival rate after 3 years of 70% for each tree and an average absorption of 22,5kgC/tree/year in a tropical setting, the project would account for 16T of CO2 captured per year and per hectare.
Biodiversity
- Decrease genetical depletion and increase the biodiversity by improving the quality of their habitat.
Regeneration
- Speed up forest regeneration by helping large animals to roams over larger territories.
Economy
- Create a new alternative source of income for villagers thanks to shared tree nursery and workforce required to plant and maintain the seedlings.
Muaro Duo nature reserve
Muaro Duo forest belongs to a large forest area spanning over several thousand hectares which has been granted nature reserve status in 2012. Muaro Duo is 430 hectare large and encompasses HL64 zone and more than half of HL345 zone until the road marked in red. It is made of high-quality secondary forest (no intensive exploitation, presence of several emerging trees, presence of animals species usually encountered only in primary forest…).
Muaro Duo Nature Reserve is one of the rare place in Sumatra where forest still borders the coast, which allows to observe a diversified flora and fauna from the coast borders, lowlands forests, slope forests and ridge forests. Mangroves and submangroves areas add up to the already high biodiversity.
This project is supported by:
<https://www.flaavor.com/fr/>
<https://www.lush.com/fr/fr/a/charity-pot>
<https://univetnature.org/>
RAINFOREST CONSERVATION
Acquisition – Reforestation – Protection
- Method
- Buy forest concession to ensure long-term protection.
- Buy partially or fully logged concession to restore them.
- Raise awareness and inform local populations through meetings set up in the neighbouring villages.
We set our priority on acquiring 2 zones that we named HL64-Ext and HL345-Ext
HL64-EXT
Acquire forest concessions located on the fringes on the reserve in order to create “buffer” zones guaranteeing a better protection for the reserve. They span over about 143 hectares.
HL345-EXT
Acquire concessions converted to agricultural (some of them abandoned) located on both sides of the road south-east of HL345 area. We intend to reforest them in the future to reconnect via a natural forest corridor the protected area of Muaro Duo with the reste of the reserve. They represent a surface of about 18 hectares.
Rimba just acquired a first concession of 1,3Ha in the HL345-Ext zone. From a strategic point of view, this concession is of prime importance since it will allow us to create a forest corridor to connect Muaro Duo reserve to the rest of the protected area thus reducing the fragmentation of the entire reserve.
Help Rimba to buy plots of forest.
Solution: Feasibility study:
Having been inspired by the activities of Veritree, Cardano Foundation, Cardano Trees and the Global Cardano Community, Rimba would like to explore the possibility to connect the power of Cardano’s blockchain solutions, NFTs, to see if we can collectively protect more forest, biodiversity, and create new livelihoods through new models of income generation, connecting our local environment and population to a global community who care about our ecosystems and ensuring we remain on course for a carbon positive future.
Our solution seeks to demonstrate that Rimba; local business in Indonesia, that has an ecolodge ecotourism project, as well as non-profit activities that impact on the SDGs on the ground, and connecting Rimba to a global decentralized network of mission driven stakeholders, ie stake pool operators, researchers, policy makers, impact investors, with the capital and technology to redirect capital and finance to where its needed for maximum positive social and environmental impact, is both possible and necessary.
We seek to host a series of sessions with experts from the Cardano Impact community, and Rimba stakeholders.
The sessions will be recorded and benefit various sectors interested in how to follow the model and framework that will come out of this feasibility study.
Following the feasibility study, results will be published for open access benefit, in French, English and Indonesian languages in the first instance.
A blueprint and map of how to solve local and global problems concerned with deforestation, CO2 emissions, climate change, ecotourism, ecosystem conservation and restoration, social, economic and cultural exchange and education.
This will be of immediate benefit for the Indonesian and French Governments, the ecotourism sector, academia, nature conservation and environmental activists, NGOs, impact and ESG finance professionals, and many more.
Further to these sessions, we shall be exploring the design and creation of Proof of Impact NFTs to support the positive impact of Rimba using Cardano4Good tools and solutions, and onboard Rimba deeper into the Cardano ecosystem for greater impact!
How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?
The project, led by Rimba, a non-profit organization and ecolodge, aims to address the challenge of deforestation and biodiversity loss on Sumatra Island, Indonesia, which is experiencing alarming rates of deforestation and threats to its unique ecosystem.
The project focuses on the Muaro Duo nature reserve and seeks to conserve biodiversity-rich habitats through various strategies:
-
Creating new protected forest areas through acquisition of forest concessions: Rimba aims to acquire forest concessions jointly managed by the government, local population, and Rimba to protect wild animals and plant
-
Improving habitat quality and reducing forest fragmentation through reforestation: Rimba is restoring agricultural land and creating wildlife corridors to increase biodiversity and support forest regeneration
-
Implementing physical protection of existing and new acquisitions: Setting up forest ranger patrols and visible marking of reserve boundaries to enhance protection
Benefits to the Cardano Ecosystem:
Conservation: The project improves the efficiency of protecting the Muaro Duo natural reserve, which sequesters 55,000 tons of CO2 annually and supports numerous animal and plant specie
Carbon Storage: Through reforestation efforts, the project aims to capture 16 tons of CO2 per year and per hectare, contributing to carbon sequestration.
Biodiversity: By improving habitat quality and reducing fragmentation, the project helps decrease genetic depletion and increase biodiversity, preserving valuable species.
Regeneration: Supporting large animal movement and expanding wildlife corridors accelerates forest regeneration processes.
Economy: The project creates alternative sources of income for local villagers through shared tree nurseries and the employment required for planting and maintaining seedlings.
Global Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: The feasibility study will explore leveraging Cardano's blockchain solutions and NFTs to connect Rimba's local efforts with a global community of stakeholders.
By demonstrating the potential of Cardano's blockchain solutions and engaging a global community, Rimba seeks to create new models for protecting forests, biodiversity, and livelihoods while contributing to a carbon-positive future.
How do you intend to measure the success of your project?
To measure success we will look at several key indicators to evaluate our impact and effectiveness:
Metrics for measuring success:
Forest Conservation: Assess the extent of protected forest areas acquired through the project and track any additional concessions converted to protected status. This can be measured in terms of the area (hectares) under protection and the percentage increase in the total protected area.
Biodiversity Conservation: Monitor the recovery and preservation of wildlife populations within the Muaro Duo nature reserve. The success can be measured by an increase in the number of species, particularly those unique to the region, and the overall biodiversity index.
Reforestation and Carbon Sequestration: Measure the number of trees planted and their survival rate after a specified period (e.g., 3 years). Calculate the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered by the planted trees and evaluate the project's contribution to reducing carbon emissions.
Economic Impact: Assess the socio-economic impact on local communities by tracking the number of alternative income opportunities created through shared tree nurseries and related employment.
Stakeholder Engagement: Evaluate the level of engagement and collaboration among various stakeholders, such as local communities, government agencies, Cardano Impact community experts, and impact investors. Monitor the participation and satisfaction levels of stakeholders through surveys or interviews.
Knowledge Sharing and Replication: Track the dissemination of project outcomes, including the publication of feasibility study results, blueprints, and maps. Measure the number of organizations, governments, and academic institutions that adopt or replicate the project's approach or findings over time.
Long-term Sustainability: Assess the project's ability to sustain its activities beyond the initial Catalyst Open funding period. Evaluate the establishment of long-term partnerships, securing additional funding sources, and the project's integration into local and national conservation strategies.
These metrics will help gauge the project's progress, effectiveness, and impact, demonstrating the successful implementation of the proposed solution and its contribution to the Cardano ecosystem and the broader goals of conservation and sustainable development.
Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?
We plan to share the outputs and results of our project through the Rimba website, various channels, including social media platforms, community forums, and the Sustainable ADA website.
We will publish regular updates of discussions held in Cardano for Good twitterspaces, and feature the achievements of the showcased projects. We will share updates on our milestones and increase marketing efforts to create an impactful PIP token research and development for the Impact Web3 community.