MEDAN-USU PR: Onrizal S.Hut, M.Si, Ph.D, a lecturer at the Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara, was invited as one of the speakers in a talk show discussing “Strengthening Indigenous Peoples in Saving the Batang Toru Ecosystem”. The talk show was organized by Green Justice Indonesia (DJI), which has been assisting indigenous communities around the Batang Toru area for several years, and the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ), and took place at Greenpress Community M Bloc, South Jakarta, Saturday (23/11/2024).

The invitation to Onrizal as a resource person is one of the trusts given by GJI given his competence and consistency, with the hope of providing valuable insight into the contribution of Indigenous peoples in preserving the Batang Toru ecosystem, as well as the challenges and opportunities that accompany it.

In addition to Onrizal, the talk show also featured Simardangiang Village Chief and representative of the Simardangiang Customary Law Community (MHA), Tampan Sitompul. The event aimed to discuss the challenges and solutions that can be taken to protect the Batang Toru ecosystem, as well as strengthen the role of indigenous communities in its conservation efforts.

Onrizal opened his presentation by describing the Batang Toru primary forest as a paradise on earth in North Sumatra, with extraordinary biodiversity. As an upstream water source and carbon sink, the area is home to the rarest endemic species, the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis).

According to Onrizal, from his experience of entering the Batang Toru primary forest in the early 2000s, the area has stunning natural beauty, with clear river flows and a calm environment, making this area one of the unique natural wonders. The preservation of this area cannot be separated from the role of the indigenous people who have always lived in harmony in it.

In addition to its natural beauty, the presence of the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), a primate that was only identified as a separate species in 2017, is an added value. The Batang Toru ecosystem, which covers 156,000 hectares, is home to approximately 102,000 hectares of Tapanuli orangutan habitat.

“The area is also home to other threatened species such as tigers and sun bears. Batang Toru is the only place in the world where these three species can be found together,” he said.

The Tapanuli orangutan in Batang Toru began to attract international attention since the first scientific report by Erik Meijaard, a Dutch researcher, who had conducted research on the presence of orangutans in the southern region of Lake Toba, particularly in the Batang Toru Ecosystem, around the late 1990s.

Then in 1997, the first scientific report on the presence of orangutans in the region was published, confirming that the orangutan population in the region still existed. The role of Meijaard and his team was crucial as this research brought global attention to this unique population, which was finally recognized as a separate species, the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), in 2017. From genetic, morphological and ecological analyses, the Tapanuli Orangutan is significantly different from the Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii) and Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). This finding shocked many people because previously there was no documentation of the presence of these primates south of Lake Toba since Indonesia's independence.

“But we also have the bad news, that the Tapanuli Orangutan population is estimated to be less than 800 individuals, and their habitat now covers only 2.5% of the area of their habitat 70 years ago. This condition makes the Tapanuli Orangutan a critically endangered species. There are various causes, ranging from plantations, settlements and others,” said Onrizal.

According to him, in preserving this ecosystem, indigenous people play an important role. “They have long coexisted with nature, utilizing forest resources such as frankincense resin without damaging the balance of the ecosystem. So it is very important to maintain local wisdom in an effort to protect biodiversity in Batang Toru,” he added.

The uniqueness of Batang Toru makes it not only a local asset, but also a global heritage that must be protected. Conservation efforts involving the government, indigenous peoples and the international community are necessary for the area to remain home to incredible biodiversity.

“Batang Toru is home to irreplaceable natural wonders. The Kunikan Batang Toru is truly extraordinary. In comparison, if we explore the whole of Europe, we might only find around 124 types of trees. But if we go into just one hectare of Batang Toru forest, we can find 300 types of trees. That's how rich it is,” said Onrizal.

Meanwhile, Simardangiang Village Chief Tampan Sitompul explained that the forest is not only a source of livelihood, but also an identity and cultural heritage for the Simardangiang community. The community lives from non-timber forest products (NTFPs) ranging from frankincense, petai, jengkol, durian and others. Frankincense, or what the community calls haminjon, has been cultivated since 400 years ago. During that time, they managed forest resources such as frankincense sustainably without cutting down trees or damaging the ecosystem.

“We live from frankincense. We don't cut down the forest. We only found out later that frankincense can be made into perfume. So far, we only know that it is sold, and used by shamans. How stupid we would be if for 400 years, we harvested frankincense only for shamans to call ghosts, jinn and others. There are no ghosts or genies in our village. What exists is us, the indigenous people of Simardangiang,” he said. (On/RJ)