Verdict for Leuser Ecosystem to Fall on Nov. 8

Verdict for Leuser Ecosystem

Jakarta. The fate of the Leuser Ecosystem will be revealed on Tuesday (08/11) with judges set to deliver their verdict in a case launched by Aceh citizens.

The lawsuit was filed on Jan. 21 by Acehnese community leaders against the Minister of Home Affairs, the Aceh Governor and the Aceh local government for excluding the Leuser Ecosystem from the Aceh Spatial Plan 2013-2033.

By excluding the Leuser Ecosystem, the Aceh local government will open arms to more mining, logging and palm oil plantations, dismissing the ecosystem’s National Strategic Area status and its Unesco World Heritage Site status for Mount Leuser National Park.

“The Leuser Ecosystem is a legacy from my parents, and if I don’t take care of it, it’s like I’m betraying my next generation,” Aman Jarum, a plaintiff in the suit and a member of the Aceh Citizen Lawsuit Movement (GeRAM), said on Thursday (03/11).

As the ecosystem is the province’s water catchment area, it plays an essential role as the water source for millions of people in Sumatra. Due to the hard impacts of climate change, losing water source would mean a gamble on the future of livelihoods around the world.