In the province of Aceh in Indonesia, there are plans for a major road - the Ladia Galaska - which will dissect the Leuser Ecosystem - a forest reserve which is the last place on earth where critically endangered orangutans, elephants, tigers, and rhinos exist together, according to a report in The Guardian.
The winner of a major conservation prize, Panut Hadisiswoyo, has called on the Indonesian Government to halt the road-building plan, which has been approved by the provincial Aceh Government but requires consent from the central Indonesian Government to go ahead.
If approved, the roads would connect the east and west coasts of Aceh and sever the Leuser Ecosystem in nine places. Fragmenting the forest would open up the area to more illegal logging and palm oil plantations, as well as making all of the critically endangered animals of the Leuser much more vulnerable to poaching.
Eventually, small groups of each species could become cut off and genetically isolated, further threatening their survival. So many of the world's most unique and rare species would be affected by the Leuser Ecosytem being dissected by roads, not at least the wilderness area itself.
Will you join me in urging the central Indonesian Government to not allow the Ladia Galaska road plan to go ahead?
Please sign and share the petition.
