The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

Table 17. 2000-­‐2008 Palm Oil Extent of Conversionin Study Areahectares of% of study% change in palmYear palm oil inareaoil areastudy areain palm oil2000 61,332 13.2%2003 64,2802008 163,8504.8% increase inarea since 2000167.2% increase inarea since 200013.9%35.3%Table 18. 2000 – 2008 Palm Oil Rate of Conversionin Study AreaTime PeriodHectares ofNEW Palm OilAverageAnnualIncrease inPalm Oil AreaAverageannual rate ofland coverconversion topalm oil2000-­‐2003 2,949 983 ha/yr 0.21%2003-­‐2008 99,566 19,913 ha/yr 4.29%2000-­‐2008 102,515 12,814 ha/yr 2.76%the 2003 – 2008 period, palm oil developed at a rate of 19,913 haper year (4.29% average annual rate of conversion in the studyarea).These analyses suggest that Tanjung Puting and Rimba Raya areunder serious threat of immediate and extensive encroachmentand conversion given rapidly expanding oil palm plantations inthe region.Table 19. 2000 – 2008 Change in Plantation ExtentYearHectares ofPalm Oil inStudy Area2000 61,332Change fromPreviousPeriodAnnualChange2001 62,648 1,316 1,3162002 62,648 -­‐ 02003 64,280 1,633 1,6332007 147,053 82,773 20,6932008 163,850 16,796 16,796Between 2003 and 2008 there was rapid and extensive expansionof palm oil plantations in the study area. Between 2003 and2007, 82,770 ha of new plantations were developed, indicatingan expansion rate of 20,693 ha per year (Table 19). Thisrepresents a 21-­‐fold increase in the annual rate of palm oilconversion compared to the 2000 – 2003 period. By 2008another 16,796 ha of palm oil were developed. On average in104