With WRI support, 22 local agencies used data-based monitoring tools to protect 2.2 million hectares of rainforest in Aceh, Riau and North Kalimantan provinces.

The Challenge

Aceh, Riau and North Kalimantan provinces hold some of Indonesia’s most vital rainforests. Yet they remain hotspots for deforestation driven by illegal logging and clearing for palm oil and other agricultural commodities.

Historically, forest monitoring in these regions has been fragmented and ineffective. Government agencies, local communities and civil society organizations operate in silos and rely on infrequent foot patrols that can be slow in preventing illegal clearing. Frontline forest defenders — particularly Indigenous Peoples and park rangers — lack both timely information and the authority to respond to deforestation. This limits their ability to protect the ecosystems that sustain their lives and livelihoods.

WRI’s Role

WRI established district-level forest monitoring teams by bringing together local governments, civil society organizations and communities in Aceh, Riau and North Kalimantan.

We provided intensive training on Global Forest Watch and other digital tools. These technologies, which use satellite monitoring and other data to spot tree loss in near-real time, help everyone from government agents to forest communities detect and halt deforestation. We also supported the issuance of formal government decrees in Bulungan, North Kalimantan and Aceh Tamiang, Aceh that ensured forest monitoring would continue after the project ended.

The Outcome

As of 2024, 22 local agencies and institutions are protecting 2.2 million hectares of forest across six districts in Aceh, Riau and North Kalimantan through strong monitoring systems. These systems include deforestation alerts, processes to verify tree loss, and response protocols co-developed by WRI and local stakeholders. The transition from reactive to proactive forest monitoring has produced measurable benefits. Forthcoming WRI analysis shows that Aceh saw a 16% reduction in the likelihood of deforestation, with a 19.9% reduction specifically within the Aceh Forest Estate.

The initiative also strengthened local governance. In August 2025, the district of Bulungan in North Kalimantan received a national award for integrating ecology into its budgeting and governance process. This improvement was directly supported by WRI’s forest-monitoring work.

Moreover, the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim) requested WRI’s support in deforestation analysis related to the flood disasters that affected parts of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra last year. Findings are supporting the agency’s ongoing investigation.