Nagan Raya – The condition of Tripa Swamp located on the west coast of Aceh is increasingly concerning. Based on satellite imagery data from 2024, of the total area of ​​61,803 hectares, only around 6,565.26 hectares of natural forest remain.

The destruction of this area is dominated by deforestation and conversion of peatlands into oil palm plantations. The impact is very serious on the survival of rare species such as the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), as well as various other types of biodiversity. The shrinking habitat also increases the potential for conflict between humans and wildlife.

This crisis not only threatens biodiversity, but also the livelihoods of local communities who have long depended on forest products such as rattan and swamp catfish. The damaged ecosystem has made them lose access to natural resources that used to support their lives.

Director of the APEL Green Aceh Foundation, Syukur Tadu, assessed that weak law enforcement was the main cause of the hampered recovery efforts.

"We consider the indecisiveness of law enforcement officers and the slow execution of court decisions against the two companies that burned Rawa Tripa to show a weak commitment to enforcing environmental law," said Syukur, Thursday (15/5/2025).

“This is not just about environmental damage, but also justice for the people and animals that live in it,” he added.

The two companies in question are PT. Kallista Alam and PT. Surya Panen Subur II (SPS II), which have each been found guilty in peatland burning cases in 2017 and 2018. However, until now, the court decisions that have permanent legal force have not been executed.

PT. Kallista Alam is required to restore 1,000 hectares of land at a cost of more than Rp251 billion. Meanwhile, PT. SPS II must rehabilitate 1,200 hectares with a restoration value of Rp302 billion.

The APEL Green Aceh Foundation urges the Suka Makmue District Court to immediately execute the verdict. They also urge the Aceh Provincial Government and the Nagan Raya Regency Government to immediately upgrade the status of Rawa Tripa to a conservation area, in order to save the remaining peat ecosystem and wildlife that still survive.

Sebagai bagian dari upaya advokasi, APEL Green Aceh bersama Rettet den Regenwald e.V, Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI), , dan Independent Forest Monitoring Fund (IFM Fund) mengadakan Focus Group Discussion (FGD) bertema “Gambut, Orangutan, dan Krisis Iklim: Mengapa Rawa Tripa Harus Diselamatkan?” pada 14 Mei 2025 di The Mirah Hotel, Bogor.

In this FGD, various parties proposed recovery strategies, both litigation and non-litigation, including:
• Tripa Swamp is proposed as a strategic area for the Regency and Province
• Proposal for revocation of HGU by involving national figures;
• Audits of land owners and ISPO/RSPO mechanisms;
• Assessment of economic losses due to damage;
Involvement of civil society networks in writing to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court Supervisory Body to immediately execute PT Kallista Alam and PT. Surya Panen Subur;
• Proposal to increase the status of the Tripa Swamp Area
• Mapping of biodiversity in the Tripa swamp

Representatives of organizations such as ICEL, Greenpeace, Walhi National, Pantau Gambut, PILI, Sawit Watch, JPIK, IWGFF, Kaoem Telapak, Wetlands Internasional, Satya Bumi, Trend Asia, Garda Animalia, and AJI Jakarta, and attended by PPATK, Partisi Hukum and Student Organizations conveyed the importance of restoring the Tripa Swamp ecosystem as a whole, demanding transparency in the use of fine funds, and strengthening commitment to FOLU Net Sink 2030.

This FGD also highlighted the lack of firmness of the Aceh Government on the Tripa Swamp issue. Because it will trigger concerns about nature to maintain the balance of the ecosystem and as a habitat for various rare species. However, without commitment and real action from the government, the sustainability of this area will be increasingly threatened.

With the complexity of actors and obstacles to execution in the field, saving Rawa Tripa requires not only quick action, but also consistency in dismantling the corporate network that has so far been free to destroy without real consequences. It is time for the voices of the people and the jungle to be heard before it is too late.