Assessment of High Conservation Value (HCV) High Carbon Stock (HCS) and Management Monitoring Strategies in Kapuas Hulu Biosphere Reserve

Agricultural commodities such as natural rubber and palm oil play an essential role in rural development in many countries but producing these commodities can often cause significant deforestation and forest degradation. Increasingly there is the demand for deforestation free products that are safe and sourced from sustainably managed jurisdictions. The High Conservation Value (HCV) approach is a method that can be utilised to support sustainable production efforts while protecting landscapes of high ecological and cultural importance.

This executive summary prepared by the Environment Research Center (PPLH) – IPB University, presents the findings from the study commissioned by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH that deployed the HCV approach across the Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Kalimantan Provide, Indonesia as part of the “Sustainability and Value Added in Agricultural Supply Chains in Indonesia” (SASCI+) project. Focusing on the commodities of natural rubber and palm oil.

The report aims to aid future development plans by taking into account the High Conservation Value-High Carbon Stock (HCV-HCS) areas around the reserve. It presents the findings from the study that highlights the Go No-Go Areas that were identified based on the HCV approach priority scale criteria, overlaid with land cover projections to support recommendations for the management and monitoring of land-use in the region.