Protecting the forest habitat of orangutans in Sumatra

Sumatran orangutans are a Critically Endangered species, with fewer than 14,000 remaining in the wild. Orangutan habitat is under persistent threat from deforestation, driven by agricultural expansion and clearance for infrastructure and roads.

A team of ERM Geographical Information System (GIS) specialists is working with the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) to refine their forest monitoring platform and provide a detailed baseline of human-caused forest disturbance in the Batang Toru habitat region in Indonesia. This will enable SOS to identify high priority areas and at-risk zones, to target their work more effectively. We have also provided funding for SOS’s "More Trees Please" campaign to plant and maintain 1,537 new rainforest trees in areas undergoing restoration.

We look forward to working with SOS in the year ahead to expand the mapping to other sensitive areas, and further support reforestation efforts.