Rudi Putra

Last updated
Rudi Putra
Born
Rudi Putra

NationalityIndonesian
Occupation(s) biologist, environmentalists
Awards Goldman Environmental Prize
Location map Indonesia Aceh Location map Indonesia Aceh.png
Location map Indonesia Aceh

Rudi Putra is an Indonesian biologist who received a Goldman Environmental Prize in 2014 for his efforts to combat illegal logging, forest encroachment for palm oil production, and policies that open endangered ecosystems to mining and plantation industries. [1]

Contents

Oil palm Elaeis guineensis MS 3467.jpg
Oil palm

Putra is a biologist who worked in Aceh Province, and who received a prize of $175,000 from his winning of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2014. [1] Putra was selected as the winner in the category 'Island and Island Nations'. [1] He was recognized for his campaign to reclaim the land under illegal palm oil plantations in the Leuser Ecosystem, Sumatra, and to clear them in order to re-establish habitat for endangered orangutans, tigers, rhinos, and elephants, as well as lobbying against political plans to remove protected status from Aceh's primary forests. [2] In 2013, these activities culminated in the establishment of a petition that asked the Indonesian government to enforce conservation law and reject the proposals in Aceh. [2] The petition received more than 1.4 million signatures, increasing awareness of environmental issues in Indonesia and attracting widespread international condemnation. [2]

Sumatran Tiger Sumatraanse Tijger.jpg
Sumatran Tiger

Motivation

As a high school student who grew up in the region of Aceh, Putra showed a keen interest in the natural world. [3] He studied the biology and conservation of the Sumatran rhino: the smallest member of the most endangered rhinoceros in the family. [3]

Putra become an expert researcher and also a tracker, who led an expedition aiming to protects rhino in the field by pursuing and catching poachers in the Leuser Ecosystem. [3] The area, which has an area of 6.4 million hectares of forest stretching from Aceh to North Sumatra, is federally protected and is one of the largest remaining habitats supporting the Sumatran rhino. [3]

Putra realised that in addition to attempting to stop illegal hunting, his efforts would not be complete without discussing and confronting the threat posed by habitat destruction from illegal logging and palm oil plantations. [3] Further studies show the importance of forests for the 4 million people living close to the Leuser Ecosystem. [3] Forests also provide protection from flooding; in the Leuser ecosystem the frequency and severity has been increasing. [3] Putra sees it as his job not only to protect the rhinos and their habitat, but also the people of the region. [3]

Illegal palm oil plantations

Forest path in Atjeh Bospad te Atjeh.jpg
Forest path in Atjeh

In the course of rescuing the land from the 'oilers' and enabling the natural ecosystems to regain their hold, Putra's approach was soundly based on grassroots innovations rather than direct lobbying of local government. [4] [5] This approach involved supporting a programme of local community education about the problem and how the scale of illegal logging threatens the lives not only of animals but also the people of Aceh. [4] Putra created a chain of support from members of the community which started and gradually increased to include members of the government and police service. [4] Currently, Putra oversees the recovery team that cut down the forest of palm trees in the Leuser Ecosystem. [4] To this day, Putra has managed to reduce 26 illegal oil palm plantations. Twenty-four of these were closed willingly by the owners, whilst the other two were forcibly closed after a police operation following legal action. [4]

FKL

Rudi and his colleagues founded Forum Konservasi Leuser (FKL) in 2013, which operates 28 teams to protect the leuser ecosystem by dismantling snares and restoring damaged forest. Most of the forest is restored naturally rather than through tree planting. Some 5,000 ha have been restored in this way as of 2021. [6]

Awards

Environmental activists from six regions of the world received an award as part of the Goldman Environmental Prize in San Francisco on 28 April 2014. [7] Each year the award is worth a $175,000 award for the individuals who have shown huge courage and initiative against the odds to take action to protect their environment. [7]

The six winners in 2014 were Desmond D'Sa is from South Africa, Suren Gazaryan from Russia, Ramesh Agrawal from India, Ruth Buendia from Peru, Helen Slottje from America, and Putra Son representing Indonesia. [7]

In 2013 Rudy won the Future For Nature Award, worth €50,000 for individuals passionate about nature conservation. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumatran rhinoceros</span> Critically Endangered species of small Asian rhinoceros

The Sumatran rhinoceros, also known as the Sumatran rhino, hairy rhinoceros or Asian two-horned rhinoceros, is a rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant species of rhinoceros; it is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although it is still a large mammal; it stands 112–145 cm (44–57 in) high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of 2.36–3.18 m and a tail of 35–70 cm (14–28 in). The weight is reported to range from 500–1,000 kg (1,100–2,200 lb), averaging 700–800 kg (1,540–1,760 lb). Like both African species, it has two horns; the larger is the nasal horn, typically 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in), while the other horn is typically a stub. A coat of reddish-brown hair covers most of the Sumatran rhino's body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumatran tiger</span> Tiger subspecies endemic to Sumatra

The Sumatran tiger is a population of Panthera tigris sondaica on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali and Javan tigers are extinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tesso Nilo National Park</span> National park in Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia

Tesso Nilo National Park is a national park in Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. It was declared a national park by the Indonesian government in 2004. The original area of the park was 385.76 km2, but the decision has been made to expand it to 1000 km2. Tesso Nilo National Park houses some of the largest coherent lowland rainforests remaining on Sumatra. The Center for Biodiversity Management has surveyed over 1,800 plots in tropical forests around the world. They found that no other plot has as many vascular plants as in Tesso Nilo. Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) surveyed forests throughout Sumatra, and also found that Tesso Nilo housed by far the most species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunung Leuser National Park</span> National park in Sumatra, Indonesia

Gunung Leuser National Park is a national park covering 7,927 km2 in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, straddling the border of North Sumatra and Aceh provinces, a fourth portion and three-fourths portion, respectively. The national park, settled in the Barisan mountain range, is named after Mount Leuser (3,119 m), and protects a wide range of ecosystems. An orangutan sanctuary at Bukit Lawang is located within the park. Together with Bukit Barisan Selatan and Kerinci Seblat National Parks, it forms a World Heritage Site, the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumatran elephant</span> Subspecies of mammal

The Sumatran elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In 2011, IUCN upgraded the conservation status of the Sumatran elephant from endangered to critically endangered in its Red List as the population had declined by at least 80% during the past three generations, estimated to be about 75 years. The subspecies is preeminently threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, and poaching; over 69% of potential elephant habitat has been lost within the last 25 years. Much of the remaining forest cover is in blocks smaller than 250 km2 (97 sq mi), which are too small to contain viable elephant populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumatran orangutan</span> Species of ape

The Sumatran orangutan is one of the three species of orangutans. Critically endangered, and found only in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, it is rarer than the Bornean orangutan but more common than the recently identified Tapanuli orangutan, also found in Sumatra. Its common name is based on two separate local words, "orang" and "hutan" ("forest"), derived from Malay, and translates as 'person of the forest'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Way Kambas National Park</span> National park in Sumatra, Indonesia

Way Kambas National Park is a national park covering 1,300 km2 (500 sq mi) in Lampung province of southern Sumatra, Indonesia. It consists of swamp forest and lowland rain forest, mostly of secondary growth as result of extensive logging in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite decreasing populations, the park still has a few critically endangered Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants and Sumatran rhinoceroses. It also hosts over 400 bird species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park</span> National park in Sumatra, Indonesia

Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park is a national park in Sumatra, Indonesia. The park located along the Bukit Barisan mountain range, has a total area of 3,568 km2, and spans three provinces: Lampung, Bengkulu, and South Sumatra. Together with Gunung Leuser and Kerinci Seblat national parks it forms a World Heritage Site, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irwandi Yusuf</span> Indonesian politician

Irwandi Yusuf is an Indonesian politician who was the governor of Aceh. He was re-elected Governor in early 2017 after serving an earlier term between 2006 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environment of Indonesia</span>

The environment of Indonesia consists of 17,508 islands scattered over both sides of the equator. Indonesia's size, tropical climate, and archipelagic geography, support the world's second highest level of biodiversity after Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leuser Ecosystem</span>

The Leuser Ecosystem is an area of forest located in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Covering more than 2.6 million hectares it is one of the richest expanses of tropical rain forest in Southeast Asia and is the last place on earth where the Sumatran elephant, rhino, tiger and orangutan are found within one area. It has one of the world's richest yet least-known forest systems, and its vegetation is an important source of Earth's oxygen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukit Tigapuluh National Park</span>

Bukit Tigapuluh National Park - The Thirty Hills - is a 143,223 hectare National Park in eastern Sumatra, consisting primarily of tropical lowland forest, largely in Riau province, with a smaller part of 33,000 ha in Jambi province. It is famous as one of the last refuges of endangered species such as the Sumatran orangutan, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, and Asian tapir, as well as many endangered bird species. It forms part of the Tesso Nilo Complex biodiversity hotspot. The Park is inhabited by the indigenous peoples of the Orang Rimba and Talang Mamak tribes.

Palm oil, produced from the oil palm, is a basic source of income for many farmers in South East Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America. It is locally used as cooking oil, exported for use in much commercial food and personal care products and is converted into biofuel. It produces up to 10 times more oil per unit area than soybeans, rapeseed or sunflowers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation in Indonesia</span>

Deforestation in Indonesia involves the long-term loss of forests and foliage across much of the country; it has had massive environmental and social impacts. Indonesia is home to some of the most biologically diverse forests in the world and ranks third in number of species behind Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation in Borneo</span>

Deforestation in Borneo has taken place on an industrial scale since the 1960s. Borneo, the third largest island in the world, divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, was once covered by dense tropical and subtropical rainforests.

Harapan Rainforest is a 98,555-hectare area of rainforest in the province of Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia. The British Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is campaigning to plant one million new trees to renew the forest because of its rich wildlife, which is vulnerable to the logging industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm oil production in Indonesia</span>

Palm oil production is important to the economy of Indonesia as the country is the world's biggest producer and consumer of the commodity, providing about half of the world's supply. In 2016, Indonesia produced over 34.6 million metric tons of palm oil, and exported 25.1 million metric tons of it. Oil palm plantations stretch across at least 12 million hectares. There are several different types of plantations, including small, privately owned plantations, and larger, state-owned plantations. There are a variety of health, environmental, and societal impacts that result from the production of palm oil in Indonesia. A recent publication by the NGO Rainforest Action Network (RAN) indicates that the use of palm oil by some of the biggest chocolate and snacks' producers is increasing this problem.

PT Kallista Alam is a palm oil company from Indonesia.

The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) is a collaborative project involving Indonesian NGO Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari (YEL) - as the main implementer in Indonesia, its Swiss partner the PanEco Foundation, and the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s Directorate General of Natural Resource and Ecosystem Conservation, under several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) starting in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endangerment of orangutans</span>

There are three species of orangutan. The Bornean orangutan, the most common, can be found in Kalimantan, Indonesia and Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia. The Sumatran orangutan and the Tapanuli orangutan are both only found in Sumatra, Indonesia. The conservation status of all three of these species is critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. 

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Indonesian activist wins Goldman Prize for fighting palm oil, deforestation". news.mongabay.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Selamatkan Badak Sumatera, Rudi Putra Terima Goldman Prize". radioaustralia.net.au. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Rudi Putra, 2014 Islands & Island Nations". goldmanprize.org. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Environmental Hero Rudi Putra Wins 2014 "Green Nobel" Goldman". inhabitat.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  5. "Environmental Hero Rudi Putra Wins 2014 "Green Nobel" Goldman". greentv.com. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  6. Hanafiah, Juinaidi (June 17, 2021). "Never too late to save Earth: Q&A with Leuser forest guardian Rudi Putra". Mongabay. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "Grassroots Activists Awarded Goldman Environmental Prize". voanews.com. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  8. "Rudi Putra". Future For Nature. 20 August 2018.