Schwaner Muller Project: Transforming Logged Forests into Protected Havens in Heart of Borneo

The Schwaner Muller landscape, spanning 1.5 million acres of diverse lowland to montane rainforests, is a biodiversity hotspot home to iconic species like the Bornean orangutan, Clouded leopard, and globally threatened Dipterocarp trees. However, this unique ecosystem was under threat from selective logging permitted under government-sanctioned management systems. Despite efforts to minimize environmental impact, this approach contributed to long-term degradation, biodiversity loss, and substantial carbon emissions. The challenge extended beyond forest management; external pressures such as unplanned deforestation, illegal logging, and climate-induced vulnerabilities threatened the landscape’s integrity.

Gaia Indonesia spearheaded a comprehensive project development plan for the Schwaner Muller Project, aligning it with globally recognized standards like VCS, CCB, and the Indonesia Skema SPEI. This transformative approach integrates carbon finance mechanisms with innovative forest protection strategies to create measurable climate, community, and biodiversity benefits.

• Forest Protection Framework: Redefined forest management by transitioning from selective logging to a conservation-driven model that eliminates commercial timber harvest while allowing targeted interventions to enhance forest health (e.g., removal of diseased trees).
• Carbon Credit Mechanism: Designed a program to reduce emissions from planned degradation and prevent unplanned deforestation, ensuring the protection of biomass carbon stocks and the promotion of natural regeneration.
• Community-Centric Solutions: Introduced livelihood programs funded through carbon revenues, enabling communities to transition from logging-based incomes to sustainable economic activities.
• Biodiversity Safeguards: Developed targeted conservation strategies to preserve critical habitats for endangered species and maintain the ecosystem’s integrity.