December 22, 2025
The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, held this year in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, brought together leaders, scientists, and innovators from around the world to advance solutions for biodiversity protection and climate resilience. Convened every four years by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Congress serves as one of the world’s most influential platforms for shaping global conservation policy and practice.
At the heart of this year’s discussions was a shared commitment to accelerate nature-based solutions that tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and community vulnerability. Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER) stood out as a leading example of how private-sector collaboration can restore ecosystems at scale and deliver lasting benefits for both people and planet.
A Global Platform for Nature-Based Solutions
Representing RER at the Asia Pavilion, John Pereira, Head of Operations, spoke on the theme “Beyond Extraction: Exploring Biodiversity Refugia in Indonesia Production Landscapes.” His presentation highlighted the program’s decade-long journey of restoring peatland forests on the Kampar Peninsula and Padang Island – an initiative that currently spans 150,693 hectares of formerly degraded peat ecosystems in Riau Province, Sumatra.
During his session, John emphasized the effectiveness of the production–protection landscape model adopted by APRIL Group, one of the world’s largest and most technologically advanced producers of sustainable fibre, pulp, and paper products. “APRIL’s production-protection landscape approach has been effective in preventing further loss of peatland forest on the Kampar Peninsula in Sumatra,” noted John during his presentation. “This has knock-on benefits for the recovery of wildlife in the area and for Indonesia’s climate goals.”
He then explained how the program integrates scientific research, hydrological management, and community partnerships to protect and rehabilitate ecosystems once threatened by illegal logging and drainage.
“For more than a decade now, RER has sought to be an example of a private sector-led conservation program that really works, in terms of biodiversity, climate, and community goals,” said John. “We are continuously working to rehabilitate forest areas that had been subject to selective commercial logging, fire and illegal logging before RER began.”
Key Takeaways and Outcomes From the Congress
RER’s session attracted significant attention from delegates focused on landscape restoration, biodiversity monitoring, and climate adaptation. The initiative’s approach, which is grounded in science and implemented through multi-stakeholder collaboration, was presented as a working model that aligns ecological integrity with economic and social outcomes.
John shared that RER’s teams are applying advanced hydrological practices to rewet drained peat, reduce fire risks, and maintain soil moisture across the landscape. As of 2024, RER has completed hydrological restoration on more than 11,000 hectares, including the closure of 36 drainage canals and the construction of 111 dams to retain water. These measures have contributed to 11 consecutive years without fire within RER’s restoration area.
Another key highlight from the presentation was the scale and diversity of species documented in RER. As John revealed during his presentation, “RER invests considerable resources to identify distinct plant and animal species, which helps to refine and enhance existing forest protection and restoration strategies. To date, 901 plant and animal species have been identified in the RER area.”
Further information on these species can be found below:
Latest data from RER biodiversity surveys:
In addition, the area is also home to five of Sumatra’s six cat species and eight of nine hornbill species.
RER’s Role in Global Conservation
John’s presentation at the IUCN World Conservation Congress positioned RER as a globally significant example of private-sector engagement in conservation, demonstrating that business-led initiatives can deliver measurable, science-based environmental outcomes.
Launched in 2013, RER operates under a 60-year ecosystem restoration license granted by Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry. It is part of APRIL’s 1-for-1 conservation commitment, which dedicates one hectare of conservation or restoration for every hectare of plantation area under management.
Through this model, RER contributes directly to:
These integrated actions ensure that conservation and community well-being progress together, thereby reinforcing RER’s production–protection model as a scalable pathway for climate-resilient growth.
Recognition Beyond Indonesia
At the IUCN Congress, RER was recognized as an example of how private-sector restoration can complement global conservation targets under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The program’s results align with several of the Framework’s key goals, including ecosystem restoration, protection of critical habitats, and sustainable management of productive landscapes.
RER’s success story illustrates that measurable conservation outcomes are possible when science, finance, and local collaboration, in the form of community-based forest management, converge with a shared purpose. As John Pereira concluded during his talk, lessons learned from the last decade of RER’s work demonstrate the value of persistence, partnerships, and adaptive management in the face of complex ecological challenges.
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