New Strong Partnerships Protect Indonesia’s Leuser Forest and Wildlife

The Leuser Ecosystem in Indonesia is a globally vital forest, home to rare animals like orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinos, and one of the last places where they coexist in the wild. Spanning about 6.5 million acres on Sumatra island, it also supports millions of people with clean water and climate regulation. However, this unique ecosystem has long been threatened by destructive palm oil plantations, illegal logging, corporate land grabs, and related activities. Recently, unprecedented collaborations among multinational companies, local governments, civil society, and community groups are pioneering new conservation efforts to protect this critical natural heritage and ensure a sustainable future for both wildlife and people.

Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem is not just a forest; it is a sanctuary of life and hope on the brink of a new era in conservation. Covering more than 6.5 million acres in northern Sumatra, this vast landscape hosts the last remaining world where Sumatran orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinos live side-by-side in their natural habitats. Beyond these iconic species, the forest pulses with thousands of lesser-known plants and animals, many unique to this region, forming an irreplaceable web of biodiversity.

Yet, this precious ecosystem has faced peril for decades. Driven by global demand for palm oil, vast swaths of its rainforests and peatlands have been cleared illegally or legally to make way for plantations, roads, and other industrial developments. Logging, mining, and hunting have also chipped away at its vitality. The consequences reach far beyond biodiversity loss—they affect climate regulation, local livelihoods, and Indigenous cultures who have been guardians of this land for centuries.

In the face of these challenges, a remarkable shift is unfolding. Major global brands like PepsiCo and Unilever, leading palm oil traders such as Musim Mas, local governments including Aceh’s Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), and grassroots organizations are forging unprecedented partnerships. These collaborations focus on training officials and community members to identify and protect High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) areas, spaces critical for wildlife habitat and carbon storage that combats climate change.

This initiative, launched in July 2025, represents a milestone in sustainable landscape management. It is supported by local experts, including the Lestari Ecosystem Foundation and the Leuser Conservation Forum, reflecting a landscape-scale approach that balances environmental protection with the social and economic needs of local people. Indigenous groups such as the Gayo, Alas, Kluet, Aneuk Jamee, and Karo continue to play a vital role, safeguarding sacred lands and ensuring that conservation respects cultural values.

The Leuser ecosystem’s peat soils are among the deepest in the tropics and store massive amounts of carbon, making forest protection here crucial in the global fight against climate change. Moreover, the forest’s rivers and rainfall sustain millions in Aceh and North Sumatra with vital water resources, soil fertility, and flood mitigation. Protecting Leuser is not only a fight for biodiversity but also a commitment to climate resilience and human well-being.

Looking back over more than a decade of conservation efforts, we see a landscape shaped by struggle and hope. Early grassroots resistance to palm oil expansion laid the groundwork for international consumer awareness and corporate commitments like “No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation” (NDPE) policies. These forces pushed over 200 global companies to change their supply chains, reducing deforestation. Local patrols, wildlife rehabilitation programs, and habitat restoration have helped endangered species rebound, though the threats remain serious.

Today’s multi-stakeholder collaborations represent a new chapter, one where corporate responsibility, government action, scientific tools, and community knowledge intersect. The Leuser Ecosystem Action Fund (LEAF), supported by philanthropists and conservation groups such as Re:wild, is scaling up efforts in wildlife protection, anti-poaching patrols, and habitat restoration, especially for the critically endangered Sumatran rhino.