The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

G1.8.5. Areas Fundamental for meeting the basicneeds of local communitiesAreas that are fundamental for meeting the basic needs of localcommunities (e.g., for essential food, fuel, fodder, medicines or buildingmaterials without readily available alternatives)HCV 5 aims to identify natural areas (terrestrial and aquatic) thatare important to local communities for the provision of basicneeds (e.g., food, water and building materials), in situationswhere such needs cannot be met with readily availablealternatives. The management goal of HCV 5 is to ensurecontinued provision of such basic needs through collaborativemanagement of the areas or through substituting forest/river-­derivedbasic need with alternatives, provided such alternativeswill be available into the foreseeable future even withoutsupport were the project to end.The Indonesian Toolkit defines basic needs as carbohydrates,protein, water, vitamins & minerals, medicine, fuel, buildingmaterials and fodder. Key questions to assess the presence ofHCV 5 in the Project Zone are:Do communities living within the Project Zone use forests orother natural ecosystem types, including rivers, for meetingbasic needs?Where are such forest-­‐derived resources located in relationto the communities?If the entire landscape or some areas within it wereconverted or degraded, would the availability of importantforest resources be impacted? If so, do the communitieshave alternatives for meeting these needs?Based on preliminary field visits in each of the villages,communities in the Project Area are dependent on natural forestand rivers to obtain a number of basic needs. These includewater, protein (fish), timber for building materials, and fuelwood. The Seruyan River is the most important source formeeting basic needs for water, including for drinking, washing,and sanitation purposes. The Seruyan is also vital for localtransport. All communities appear to depend very heavily on theSeruyan for protein derived from fish. Upstream tributaries arealso used. Communities did not report depending on forest forhunting as an alternative source of animal derived protein – duein part to religious prohibitions – suggesting rivers are vital in thisregard. Based on available data, communities appear to derivetimber for local consumption (building) from communal forestareas on the east side of the Seruyan, which is outside theProject Area but inside the Project Zone. Fuel wood is derivedfrom nearby forests, usually of a disturbed nature (e.g.,regenerating secondary forests).Market alternatives are available for fish-­‐derived protein,building materials, and fuel wood, but these appear to be farbeyond the reach of most community members. This conclusionis based on reports that communities already have troubleaffording market purchases to meet other basic needs, such ascarbohydrates, vitamins & minerals and non-­‐fish protein.77