REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SITANDIANG -- Batang Toru hydropower plant made a concrete action to protect orang utans in Tapanuli while sustain Batangtoru ecosystem by conducting training and forming a community-based local wisdom conservation cadres. The program was supported by Center for Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA) Region V of North Sumatra, involving seven villages in the sub district of Sipirok and Marancar.

The activity of this program was carried out for two days, started from 30th April to May 1st with a focus on Sitandiang Hamlet, Bulu Mario Village, Sipirok District, South Tapanuli Regency. On the event, a number of figures were presented, namely Chief of Communication and External Relations PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE) Firman Taufick, Senior Adviser of the Batang Toru Hydroelectric Power Plant Agus Djoko Ismanto, Senior Action Research Save Batangtoru Koesnadi Wirasapoetra, and staff in the Section III Region V North Sumatra BBKSDA M Nasir Siregar.

They shared their knowledge and local wisdom of what they did from generation to generation interacting with orang utans. Effective local wisdom for coexistence of orang utans is a principle that will be prioritized by the Batang Toru hydropower plant.

According to Firman Taufick, the activity was one of the concrete actions in an effort to help preserve the orang utans species in the Batangtoru ecosystem. The program aimed to make the community have sufficient knowledge and skills to participate in the survival of orang utans in Batangtoru.

“Community has local wisdom from time to time. They know better about how to coexist with orang utans. This training is an effort to explore their local wisdom while at the same time providing practical skills for good coordination between communities and the government and Batang Toru hydropower plant in protecting orang utans,” Firman said in a press release on Saturday.

Strengthening people's understanding and skills will be the first step of Batang Toru hydropower plant, together with government and community in forming community-based conservation cadres. The community must be an important element in protecting orang utans because they interact from day to day with this animal.

Senior Adviser on Environment and Sustainability NSHE Agus Djoko Ismanto explained Batang Toru hydropower plant took mitigation actions against potential impacts that might arise due to the construction of the project. ESHIA (Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment), is one of the studies that has become a reference for hydropower plant to run deep resource conservation which is called as the Biodiversity Action Plan.

Protection measures from the Biodiversity Action Plan of the Batang Toru hydropower plant had been initiated since before land clearing. The process is under the supervision of BBKSDA, which is collaborating with Batang Toru hydropower plant and local Non Government Organizations (NGOs).

"We jointly monitor the presence of animals through inspection before logging. Animals must be protected, so no one hurt during the construction of Batang Toru hydropower plant,” said Agus.

Koesnadi, one of the initiators of community-based orang utans conservation training said so far the community has local wisdom in preserving nature, for example, when dealing with orang utans. The community believed if they disturb Mawas (orang utan idiom in South Tapanuli), it will cause danger for them and the village.

According to Koesnadi, one example of another local wisdom is Matari Bondar. This is the customary rule of a century-old ancestry in safeguarding forests and water sources. The communities from four villages namely Haonatas, Tanjung Rompa, Bonan Dolok and Siranap (Hatabosi) have a tradition of guarding forests since their ancestors to date to fulfill their daily clean water needs and irrigate agricultural land.

Batang Toru hydropower plant is committed to protect orang utans and also takes action by working with government and community. After the training process, the program is followed by the formation of community-based conservation cadres.

The program is also part of the application of the study of the Environmental Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESIA). The application of ESIA provisions has made

Batang Toru first hydropower plant in Indonesia that implement the equatorial principle.

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