Strengthened Systems for Community-based Conservation of Forests and Peatland Landscapes in Indonesia (CoPLI) To conserve biodiversity and enhance livelihoods through a strengthened institutional framework and community-based conservation of peatland ecosystems Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency. The Project is expected to generate significant long-term socio-economic benefits and reduce substantial negative socio-economic impacts from current peatland management practices. The most important ecosystem services delivered on peatlands are livelihood provisions, biodiversity conservation and hydrological services. For livelihood provisions, the project will focus on enhanced sustainable production of agriculture, non-timber forest products include fish and honey, peatland ecotourism and associated activities of handicrafts. For biodiversity conservation, the Project will enable plantations and agroforestry in sites to adopt best management practices, as well as through co-management with the local community groups on the Community Conservation Areas, in particular the HCV/HCB areas in village land. By better protection and rehabilitation of peatlands, surface and subsurface water supply for agriculture and domestic will be maintained. In targeted landscapes, the Project is also expected to reduce negative socio-economic impacts. Foremost of which is security in utilizing the lands they work on, inasmuch as the plans will recognize and harmonise areas that adhere to traditional and customary natural resource management and agricultural practices. The livelihood support that promotes local sustainable practices such as fishing, bee-keeping, and NTFP extraction will be enhanced towards increased household incomes that empowers the women. Labor absorbed by oil palm companies applying RSPO principles that lead to good practice (ie, fair wages and benefits, as well as occupational health and safety measures). Improved peatland and protected management will also lessen incidence of forest fires and result to improved health conditions. Disaster risk management will enhance climate change adaptation capacities of local communities thereby reducing damage (from fire and flooding) to properties and lives. It is envisaged that enhanced ecosystems services and biodiversity within the landscapes, will lead to reduced fragmentation and increased resilience. There are approximately 10,000 and 165,000 people living in the DSPL and GPSPPL respectively, of which approximately 33,400 people are living in the 16 pre-selected villages for project intervention. This population will benefit largely from reduced risk of peatland fires and associated smoke haze (and associated health impacts). It is anticipated that the engaged households will directly benefit from project activities through enhanced livelihoods related to sustainable agriculture, plantations, forestry, and ecotourism.The direct positive social impacts from CoPLI will include benefits derived primarily from activities supported at the landscape level under Component 2. These include: (i) improved livelihoods associated with support for new technologies and achievement of increased efficiencies targeting participating communities traditional livelihoods (e.g., planting on shallow peat, collecting wild honey and other non-timber forest products); (ii) development of new sustainable livelihoods compatible with project objectives (e.g., ecotourism); (iii) new employment opportunities associated with co-management and conservation of activities in the national parks and local community efforts directed at fire conservation and control; and (iv) greater access to social forestry schemes. Indirect social benefits will include promotion of: (i) enhancing understanding on government land use classification and approval systems that could reduce conflicts and lead to more productive use of the land by small farmers; (ii) improved life quality of selected communities achieved through VLUPs supporting improved welfare conditions (e.g., facilities for clean water supply); (iii) reduced risk to fire associated with the adoption of improved fire prevention measures; (iv) reforestation of non-productive lands in areas impacted by forest and land fires; and (v) reduced risk to climate-related floods achieved through the incorporation of flood risk adaptation measures into the VLUPs.          It is anticipated that communities living in the targeted peatland landscapes will have a better understanding of the goods and services provided by the peatlands ecosystem and the need to maintain the peatlands to ensure the sustainability of the adjacent production landscapes (especially through water supply). This will support measures to protect the remaining critical ecosystems and associated biodiversity as well as to reduce peatland fires and drainage and associated GHG emissions. Hence socio-economic benefits will support the safeguarding of global environmental benefits.