Permalink: https://media.greenpeace.org/archive/Sungai-Tohor-Villager-in-Sumatra-27MZIFJ6XM2E7.htmlConceptually similarSungai Tohor Villager in SumatraGP0STPNWVCompleted★★★★Sungai Tohor Villager in SumatraGP0STPNWYCompleted★★★★Sungai Tohor Villager in SumatraGP0STPNX2Completed★★★★Sungai Tohor Villager in SumatraGP0STPNX4Completed★★★★Sungai Tohor Villager in SumatraGP0STPNX5Completed★★★★Sungai Tohor Villager in SumatraGP0STPNWWCompleted★★★★Villagers at Mosque in SumatraGP0STPNX6Completed★★★★Draining Canal in SumatraGP0STOTXVCompleted★★★★Sago Plantation in SumatraGP0STOTTZCompleted★★★★View AllGP0STPNWZSungai Tohor Villager in SumatraAbdul Manan (43) shows the digital maps of Sungai Tohor forest that was burned in 2014. The updated digital maps need to be released for the public to prevent the forest fires and land dispute between the plantation company and the villagers.In October 2014, Abdul Manan launched an online petition asking the Indonesian president to visit his village and witness the problem of peatland forest fires. When the president visited on 27 Nov 2014, he personally helped dam a canal, and made favourable observations about the sustainability of the community’s growing of sago (a starch extracted from the spongy centre, or pith, of various tropical palm stems) versus large-scale industrial plantations. Later, a promise was made by the Minister that the concession of PT LUM would be revoked and that village forest would be officially granted to the Sungai Tohor community.Since then, more canals have been dammed. The local community enjoys using the water for fishing/aquaculture, and there have been markedly none or fewer fires since water levels were restored in the peatlands. The community says sago yields in their gardens, where the peat is wet, are better than in the industrial sago plantation which employs drainage.Locations:Indonesia-Riau-Southeast Asia-SumatraDate:25 Feb, 2016Credit:© Afriadi Hikmal / GreenpeaceMaximum size:4335px X 2890pxKeywords:Day-Forests (campaign title)-Heroism-KWCI (GPI)-Laptops-Men-One person-Outdoors-Peatland-Portraits-Solutions-Tropical rainforestsShoot:Case Study at Sungai Tohor Community in SumatraIn October 2014, local farmer Abdul Manan from Sungai Tohor, Riau, launched an online petition asking Indonesian president Joko Widodo to visit his village and witness the consequences of peatland forest fires. When the president visited on 27 Nov 2014, he personally helped dam a canal, and made favourable observations about the sustainability of the community’s growing of sago (a starch extracted from the spongy centre, or pith, of various tropical palm stems) versus large-scale industrial plantations. Later, a promise was made by the Minister that the concession of PT LUM would be revoked and that village forest would be officially granted to the Sungai Tohor community.Since then, more canals have been dammed. The local community enjoys using the water for fishing/aquaculture, and there have been remarkably none or fewer fires since water levels were restored in the peatlands. The community says sago yields in their gardens, where the peat is wet, are better than in the industrial sago plantation which employs drainage.Last year, fires raged in most of peat area in east coast of Sumatra Island and Kalimantan but no fire was detected in Sungai Tohor compared to early 2014 where fires had burnt down thousands hectare of forest in the area and other neighboor villages.
