In December 2021, we completed a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of the forest restoration in the Brantas River Basin of East Java, Indonesia. Here, deforestation for agriculture has led to increased soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and decreased water retention. These impacts have made floods more severe, reduced groundwater recharge and in the dry season, water scarcity has become a problem.
Maintaining and Enhancing Water Yield through Land and Forest Rehabilitation (MEWLAFOR) is a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded project designed to restore degraded land in the Brantas River catchment. It will establish 387 hectares of upstream agroforestry systems and 150 hectares of riparian bamboo plantations. In total, the project will ultimately bring 26,033 hectares under improved management, while also constructing absorption wells and biopore holes to enhance water retention. The project will benefit 278,600 people (153,230 men and 125,360 women) and address the priorities to restore land as defined in the National Medium Term Development Plan 2020–2024 (RPJMN).
We found that over 20 years, the proposed interventions could generate net benefits of between USD 104.34 million and USD 131.59 million in avoided flood and erosion damages along with improved water quality, carbon storage, job creation, agroforestry, and bamboo production.
Read the full report here, for the story version click here.
You can also find this case study at the Sustainable Infrastructure Tool Navigator.