The total area of Siak Regency is 811,848 hectares. According to the Global Forest Watch (GFW) data, during the period of 2001-2014, Siak Regency lost 363,398 hectares of 45% of its total forest covers. In the span of 14 years, Siak Regency has lost a total of 25,957 hectares of forest covers each year. The biggest loss of forest covers during that period occurred in 2007, where the loss of forest covers reached 46,142 hectares.

The deforestation rate, which accelerates every year, is triggered by the significant number of concession permits granted to corporates in plantation and forestry sectors, limiting the local people’s access to the forests and natural resources.

The pollution of the water source makes it difficult for the locals to live and farm. The water is brackish, colored (brownish yellow) and reeks of iron, thus ineligible for cooking purposes.

The involvement of women is low in village meetings or discussions surrounding the advocacy and decision-making process regarding land management. This is unequal to women’s contribution in cultivating family lands. Women are involved directly in the cultivation process by fertilizing, weeding, harvesting, as well as extracting, collecting, and selling rubber sap. As women have an active role in land management, they should also be involved in the advocacy and decision-making process of the utilization and licensing of the land so that they can also voice out their aspirations and needs.

Factsheet_Women and Forest Concession Siak-Riau_English.pdf