Forests, Land and Livelihoods in Riau
Yayasan Hutanriau maps land use, documents local knowledge, restores degraded areas and monitors biodiversity with communities and public institutions. It also works with producer groups on forest-compatible livelihoods.
WHO WE ARE
From Field Records to Project Decisions
Yayasan Hutanriau is an independent Indonesian non-profit organisation based in Pekanbaru. Since 2015, it has carried out participatory mapping, land-use planning, forest rehabilitation, biodiversity monitoring, community enterprise development and field research in Riau and other parts of Sumatra.
Project design starts with what is documented in each place. Community knowledge, maps, surveys and project records shape the activities and provide a basis for reviewing results with the people and institutions involved.
Six Areas of Work
The six areas below reflect Yayasan Hutanriau’s current project experience and an emerging area of interest. The roles of community groups, government agencies and other partners differ by project and location.
01
Land Rights, Mapping and Local Governance
Participatory mapping, social forestry, free, prior and informed consent, land-use planning, and work with customary institutions, village bodies and community groups.
02
Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation
Site assessment, planting, maintenance and monitoring in degraded forests, peatlands and river margins, with attention to water conditions and fire risk.
03
Biodiversity Monitoring and Wildlife Coexistence
Field surveys, camera trapping and community monitoring to document species, habitat conditions and interactions between people and wildlife.
04
Forest-Compatible Livelihoods and Community Enterprise
Work with producer groups on non-timber forest products, agroforestry, local processing, market access and group management.
05
Local Knowledge, Research and Spatial Evidence
Field research, participatory documentation, GIS analysis and community monitoring that inform project decisions, public planning and policy discussions.
06
Emerging Strategic Direction
Nature Finance and Environmental Integrity
Areas being explored include environmental baselines, safeguards, benefit-sharing arrangements and the conditions communities would need to engage with carbon finance, biodiversity finance or payments for ecosystem services.
SELECTED PROJECT RESULTS
What Project Records Show
These figures come from separate projects. They describe specific activities and outputs, not cumulative organisational impact.
29
community groups supported during an 8,750-hectare forest and land rehabilitation programme in the UPT KPH Singingi area from 2019 to 2021
6
villages and nagari involved in participatory land-use planning in Riau and West Sumatra in 2024
67
geospatial datasets collected in shapefile format for the Riau One Map programme in 2016 and 2017
95
medicinal plant species documented in Lubuk Bigau in 2025
55
traditional medicinal preparations documented in Lubuk Bigau in 2025
Figures refer to separate documented projects. Project areas may overlap and should not be added together as an organisational total.
FEATURED PROJECTS
Selected Projects
Four examples from Yayasan Hutanriau’s project portfolio.
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Building Riau’s Geospatial Evidence Base
Location: RiauYear: 2017This project collected and assessed 67 geospatial datasets for forest-governance analysis, regional planning and the Riau One Map programme.
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Integrated Village Development for a Sustainable Lubuk Bigau
Location: Lubuk BigauYear: 2024Work in Lubuk Bigau covered participatory planning, education, community enterprise, wildlife monitoring and community-based tourism.
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Medicinal Plant Knowledge of Lubuk Bigau
Location: Lubuk BigauYear: 2025Working with local knowledge holders, the study documented 95 medicinal plant species and 55 traditional preparations used in Lubuk Bigau. The field records cover…
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Participatory Land Governance and Spatial Evidence, Sustainable Livelihoods and Community EnterpriseCommunity Forest Management and Jernang-Based Livelihoods in Bukit Batabuh
Yayasan Hutanriau worked with community forest groups and KPH Singingi on participatory mapping, jernang-based livelihoods and preparation for social forestry in Air Buluh.
LATEST INSIGHTS
Field Accounts and Project Learning
Stories and observations from fieldwork, research and discussions in Riau.
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Beyond the Race: The Living Culture Behind Pacu Jalur
As Pacu Jalur was celebrated on the Kuantan River, a small discussion in Kuantan Singingi looked beyond the race to the villages and knowledge…
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Following the Trail of Dragon’s Blood
A journey into Bukit Batabuh to learn how jernang harvesting relates to community forest management and forest-based livelihoods.
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When Forgotten Forest Fruits Reached the City
Forest farmers from Kuantan Singingi arrived in Pekanbaru with hundreds of kilograms of tampui and barangan. The harvest offered a glimpse of the market…
WORK WITH US
Discuss Field Collaboration in Riau
Yayasan Hutanriau collaborates with community groups, government agencies, research institutions, civil society organisations, businesses and donors. We welcome discussions about participatory mapping, forest rehabilitation, biodiversity monitoring, research, community enterprise and related field programmes.