The Ecologist reports on how escalating agricultural development in Western Sumatra, Indonesia is further threatening endangered species such as the Sumatran Tiger. Writes Dr Julian Bloomer, “Meaningful development strategies should focus on allowing local communities living on the park’s edges to pursue sustainable livelihoods through improved land tenure, improved education systems and facilities, and the support of their traditional agroforestry practices”.

The UNESCO World Heritage Kerinci Seblat National Park contains 1.4 million hectares of protected forests, over 4,000 plant and 300 bird species as well as being home to many endangered species, including Sumatran Tigers, Sumatran Elephants, clouded leopards, tapirs and sun bears.

With an economy largely based on agriculture, including palm oil and rubber production, as well as exploitation of mineral and energy reserves, there is push to expand the island’s infrastructure to allow for further development. With this comes greater risk to the habitat of already highly endangered species.

Dr Bloomer writes that local communities will have little to gain from the increased large-scale exploitation of the natural resources by the private sector and calls for development strategies that are more sensitive to the well-being of local communities and provide greater protection of biodiversity.

Read the full story: Indonesia's Sumatran tiger threatened by development of last jungle strongholds