SIPEF supports launch of multi-stakeholder landscape initiative in Mukomuko, Bengkulu

April 2026 

SIPEF is pleased to support the launch of a new multi-stakeholder initiative to advance sustainable landscape development in Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu, Indonesia.  

The initiative — which formally launched at the Mukomuko Regent's Office on 9 April 2026 and is led by the Mukomuko Regional Government’s Regional Development Planning and Innovation Agency (Bapperida) — brings together government institutions, academia, civil society organisations, local communities, and private sector partners, including SIPEF, Arconesia, and the High Conservation Value Network (HCVN). Its aim is to strengthen land-use governance, conservation efforts, and community-based economic development through a coordinated, science-based approach — aligning environmental priorities with social and economic development objectives at landscape level. The programme is designed as a long-term partnership, with research and conservation activities funded externally, at no cost to the regional government. 

As part of the programme’s initial phase, High Conservation Value (HCV) screening workshops were conducted on 6 and 9 April 2026. During these sessions, experts from the HCVN introduced methodologies for identifying, planning, and monitoring HCV areas, supporting both risk identification and management and the development of indicative priority maps of HCV areas, and recommendations for priority actions. These outputs will complement existing regional planning tools and serve as a shared reference for data-driven decision-making in Mukomuko. 

Dr Matthew Nowak, director of sustainability at SIPEF Indonesia says SIPEF will play catalytic role in the initiative, supporting its implementation and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. "The multi-stakeholder landscape approach demonstrates how sustainability can advance at scale through collaboration. By combining coordinated analysis with practical implementation, we can together support sustainable regional development and strengthen Mukomuko's position as a responsible sourcing landscape."  

The programme aligns with SIPEF's Balanced Growth Strategy, which is built on the principle that commercial objectives and the preservation of natural ecosystems, community well-being, and long-term landscape resilience are mutually reinforcing. Through continued partnership with Bapperida, Arconesia, HCVN, and local stakeholders, SIPEF will help to advance a resilient landscape in Mukomuko Regency — one that protects natural resources, supports community livelihoods, and enables inclusive, long-term economic development.