The Batang Toru forest covers some 136.000 ha of primary forest located in 3 Districts in North Sumatra: North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli and South Tapanuli. This forest contains a wealth of biodiversity: including an estimated 1000 orangutans (about 15% of the remaining populations on Sumatra); the highly endangered sumatran tiger, tapir, serow, marbled cat and clouded leopard also reside in this forest.

The greater part of the Batang Toru forest is at present allocated as production forest and land to be converted to other uses (81%) and only a small part (19%) is allocated as protection forest.
The Batang Toru forest covers the upper areas of 10 watersheds. Water from the Batang Toru forest is currently used by a hydro-electricity scheme (Sipansihaporas). Other important industries will also rely on a stable ecosystem in Batang Toru, including geo-thermal plans and gold mining.
Efforts are on their way to establish Batang Toru as a locally protected area with a multi-stakeholder management system.
Benefits derived in the future from the environmental services (carbon, water, ecotourism) from this forest can be used for sustainable management of the forest asset and socio-economic development of local communities.

Area with rivers

Working in the Forest is not so easy: you have to walk there from a nearby village and then a long and heavy climb on a steep muddy mountain between the trees for some 800 meters ! It will take approximately 6 to 8 hours, and don’t forget the backpacks (weight 20 kgs). Temperature is tropical and humidity 95 %. But then you are there: the Base Camp. We will tell and show more next time.