NCHC Extends a Helping Hand to Arboreal Orangutans
May 13, 2010
Along with the Bamboo Community University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, the NARL’s National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC) has teamed up with the Sumatran Orangutan Society/Orangutan Information Centre (SOS-OIC) to protect critically-endangered arboreal orangutans and fast disappearing rainforests in Indonesia. Under this joint initiative, the two Conservation and Digital Opportunity Centres (CDOCs) were established in December 2009 at Bukit Lawang and Tangkahan, two important orangutan conservation sites, in North Sumatra Province. These two centers are to develop a working model on how to apply information and communication technologies on rainforest and orangutan conservation as well as environment education for local communities. Moreover, the CDOCs render to increase global awareness and mobilize assistance from around the world in this important conservation effort.
Indonesia is home to one of the world’s three major tropical rainforests. The other two are found in the Amazon Basin of South America (e.g. Brazil) and Central Africa (e.g. Congo). These tropical rainforests play an elemental role in regulating global weather in addition to maintaining regular rainfall, while buffering against floods, droughts, and erosion. They store vast quantities of carbon, while producing a significant amount of the world’s oxygen, serving as the Earth’s “lungs.”
Regrettably, economic and social development in recent years has been causing rainforests about two-third of Taiwan, i.e., about 9,300 sq. mi. of rainforest, to disappear each year. This makes Indonesia’s rainforests disappear faster than anywhere else in the world. Apart from attributing to global warming and climate change, rainforest depletion in Indonesia is also threatening the habitat of arboreal Sumatran orangutans, which are now critically endangered according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. This means that Sumatran orangutans face extremely high risk of extinction in the wild if degradation, fragmentation and transformation of their habitats are not halted immediately.
The NARL-NCHC’s role in this international conservation effort is to digitize information about rainforests, orangutans, their plights and others, and to establish internet learning facilities located in remote areas of Sumatra. This information revolution for conservation efforts is the first of this kind in the country. It facilitates an innovative program of environmental education and orangutan protection through the participation and empowerment of local communities. It supports sustainable environmental development of the region. Furthermore, it makes sustainable eco-tourism in the regions feasible.
Source: http://www.narl.org.tw/en/news/news.php?news_id=460
Conservation and Digital Opportunity Centre (CDOC)
November 16, 2009
The Conservation Digital Opportunity Centres (CDOCs) were established in December 2009 and are managed by the Orangutan Information Centre (OIC). The two centres, located in Bukit Lawang Eco Tourism Area at the Bukit Lawang Housing Complex and the Tangkahan Eco Tourism Visitor Centre, are a joint initiative between the Bamboo Community University Association (BCUA) Taiwan, Taiwan Economic Trade Office (TETO), Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP), Tangkahan Tourism Institute (LPT) and the Langkat Guide Association (LGA).
The main goal of CDOCs is to develop a successful working model on how to apply information and communication technologies on rainforest and orangutan conservation as well as environment education for local communities living adjacent to Gunung Leuser National Park, a UNESCO Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra. GLNP is one of the richest tropical rainforests in Indonesia inscribed as the world heritage together with Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Barisan National Park. It lies in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatera Provinces covering 1.094.692 hectares. Tangkahan and Bukit Lawang Ecotourism Areas exploit the beauty of nature as well as flora and fauna diversity as to enjoying and learning media for the coming visitors. Recently, ecotourism development in these area is needed as to promote to the conservation efforts for the sustainability of the GLNP.
CDOC – MoU Signing:
The CDOC aims to:
- Increase both ecotourism guide and local community capacity to develop ecotourism through IT media.
- Be the local hub for IT training activities and online publications for GLNP community groups around Bukit Lawang and Tangkahan.
- Be a conservation information centre together with the community groups to promote awareness of the importance of GLNP, conservation and ecoutourism.
Each CDOC is an environmental and information technology learning facility for locals, and visitors alike, to engage in local conservation issues and promote awareness. Facilities and services include:
- Free computer, Internet training and ongoing support to the local community and Eco Tourism Guides.
- Donation based Internet services for visitors.
- Community Library and information resources.
- A Mobile Awareness Unit Library with Internet facilities, which will travel to some villages bordering the GLNP area.
- Website support for local Institute.
Please feel free to contact and meet our CDOC staff in Bukit Lawang and Tangkahan if you need to obtain our CDOC services.
CDOC – Tangkahan:
CDOC – Bukit Lawang:
Programs
Archives
Online Network
Join and become sahabat orangutan Networks:
