Prince visits rainforest project

Prince Charles has an ambitious plan to save the world's rainforests

The Prince of Wales has visited the Harapan Rainforest conservation project on the Indonesian island of Sumatra as part of his 10-day tour of Asia.

Conservation groups have been replanting trees as oil palm and timber plantations have decimated the forests.

Prince Charles heard from those who live in the forest that the project should also provide income for them.

The 59-year-old Prince is expected to set out his rainforest plan to the Indonesian cabinet on Thursday.

Prince Charles is due to visit several rainforest projects in Indonesia, which boasts some of the world's largest and most important rainforests but is also one of the world's worst polluters.

He will then set out draft proposals, drawn up by his Prince's Rainforest Project, in a lecture to the Indonesian cabinet.

It is part of an ambitious scheme to save the world's rainforests and combat climate change, details of which he first revealed in Brunei.

Forest dwellers

The RSPB is one of the conservation groups behind the project in the 250,000 acre Harapan Rainforest.

Its chief executive, Graham Wynne, said restoration work would take decades because of the damage caused by logging.

He said: "Nearly half the commercial forests in Indonesia are no longer managed which means far more rainforests could be used for environmental benefit."

The Sumatran tiger, Asian elephants, hornbills and almost 300 other species of bird are among species Harapan Rainforest now protects.

The project's long term aim is to develop a tropical rainforest research centre and eco-tourism hub.

Prince Charles checked out the soil before planting a tree

The prince was shown around the site's base camp.

He watched staff plant saplings and was shown a clearing where indigenous plants had been reintroduced to the forest.

Forest dwellers told him the project should help provide incomes for them as many lived on up to 25,000 Rupiah (�2.50) a day and relied on hunting and gathering to survive.

Hasan Bada, 51, a father of 10 children said he struggled to feed his family.

Speaking through an interpreter after chatting with the Prince he said: "We are against the roads, because when they are built people come into the area and we are pushed aside - our ancestors have lived here for centuries.

"Our community have no other money except what we make from the plants, killing animals and collecting birds so the Harapan Forest should be developed for our lives too.

"That's not happening at the moment."

The conservation groups say the initiative will provide jobs for villagers with most of their rangers made up of local people.

Indonesia is the final leg of his tour. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall also visited Japan and Brunei, but he has travelled to Indonesia alone as his wife has returned to Britain for other engagements.

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