European Union Gunung Leuser Project: full steam ahead

The European Union has approved a 32 Million ECU grant (~ US $ 43 Million) to support a technical partnership of 7 years for conservation of the Leuser Ecosystem. The Leuser Ecosystem covers ca.19 000 km? of State forest land, including the current Gunung Leuser National Park (ca. 9 000 km? ). Conservation of the Leuser Ecosystem will be achieved through an Integrated Conservation and Development approach. Conditions for locally desired, ecologically sound developments will be established in a ?quid pro quo' exchange of commitments, in covenants, by local communities, to support protection of the ecosystem. To facilitate the programme, a special ?Conservation Concession' has been issued to the Leuser International Foundation, who delegates management to a joint Indonesian-EU Management Unit. Currently, the EU is recruiting international staff for the Management Unit through a inter-union tender procedure. Leuser is the most important area for the Sumatran rhino. Protection of the population in the Central Leuser Rift is a high priority of the project.