Eco-Tourism in the Rain Forest of Western Java, Indonesia

by Biological Science Club

Project Overview

Gunung Halimun National Park (GHNP), established in 1992 by the Government of Indonesia, contains the largest tract of remaining primary lowland forest in Java. GHNP is home to 23 mammal species, at least two of which, the Javan gibbon and the grizzled langur, are endemic and endangered. The Park also supports 156 bird species, of which 18 are endemic, and over 500 plant species. Indigenous Kasepuhan and other Sudanese communities live in and around the park and depend heavily on its natural resources. The park protects an important watershed for Java. GHNP's resources, however, are threatened by small-holder and plantation agriculture, infrastructure development, small-scale gold mining, and unsustainable fuel wood and non-timber forest product harvesting.

To counter these threats, BScC is working with local communities to develop an ecotourism enterprise and conservation awareness program geared to attracting more domestic and international visitors from nearby Jakarta. The project also offers the opportunity to work with the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHPA) on allowable access and use of resources in protected areas. GHNP's proximity to Jakarta is providing project partners and local communities the opportunity to tap into a large and growing market of domestic and international ecotourists, and at the same time targeting a significant segment of western Javanese society for conservation awareness and education. McDonald's Corporation's active involvement in the project represents a unique opportunity to get private sector support and resources behind a conservation effort in Indonesia.

	Current Accomplishments
Successes and Challenges
"OK...So What?"

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