This is a reforestation project in Bandung, West Java, situated within a 139-hectare community forest landscape. The project's goal is direct: transform degraded land into a productive, climate-resilient ecosystem, through a model that ties ecological restoration to real economic opportunity for the people managing it.
The initiative brings together three partners. Koperasi Produsen Amanah Sejahtera, the legally mandated local farmer cooperative, manages the land on the ground. Trees4Trees serves as Tree Planting Partner (TPP), bringing planting and field implementation expertise. And TREEO provides carbon project development and digital MRV, ensuring the project's climate impact is rigorously measured and verified.
The project operates within a protected forest area, with specific regulations to prohibit the harvest of timber. The farmer cooperative, consisting of 107 members, holds a forest utilization permit valid for 35 years, with the starting date on 7 June 2018 to 2053.
The collaborative project initially focused on reforestation across 21.2 hectares and was expanded to 31 hectares through an addendum on 8 March 2024 in response to the farmers’ request for more accessible land.
Why This Land, and Why Now
Satellite and land cover analysis confirmed the land degraded mostly into grassland before 2022, indicating a critical need for afforestation and reforestation efforts. Furthermore, this degraded land carries risks of natural disasters such as floods and landslides. The reforestation effort creates additional climate and ecological impact by ensuring that more than 50% of the area is reforested, while land conversion, tree cutting, and timber harvest are prohibited.
A Ten-Species Planting Design, Refined by Field Evidence
The initial project was designed to include the planting and maintenance of 21,200 seedlings, consisting of timber trees (15,268) and fruit trees (5,932):
Timber Trees
- Agathis dammara (Damar) : 56%
- Altingia excelsa (Rasamala) : 10%
- Magnolia blumei (Manglid): 3.5%
- Toona sureni (Suren) : 1%
- Schima walichii (Puspa) : 0.4%
Fruit Trees
- Persea americana (Avocado) : 9.5%
- Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit) : 1.9%
- Nephelium lappaceum (Rambutan) : 0.6%
- Mangifera indica (Manggo) : 2.4%
- Manilkara zapota (Sapota) : 13%
These species were chosen through an in-depth consultation process with the farmer group, based on farmer preferences, carbon performance. This selection creates direct synergies with local livelihoods, offering an annual income from measurable carbon trading for ten years, as well as training in biochar production from wood residues, which can be applied to the soil for long-term carbon storage.
The farmer group’s responsibility comprises planting, maintenance, weeding, fertilizing, replanting where required, and tree monitoring using the TREEO app during the active implementation period. The planted species support long-term protected area conservation, carbon accumulation and the enhancement of farmers’ financial and managerial capabilities.
TREEO's Digital Approach
Through single-tree monitoring app solutions, smallholder farmers across Indonesia are empowered to digitize their forests. Utilizing smartphone cameras, our dMRV (digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) system analyzes tree trunk diameter, canopy coverage, and species growth over time. Each tree receives a unique digital identity, linking precise carbon sequestration calculations with trusted global buyers.
Monitoring Technology and Communication Adjustments
Operating in remote protected forests necessitated rapid technological adaptations. The TREEO app was updated to include features such as offline plot polygon visualizations to guide users in the field, automated GPS accuracy checks (minimum 10 m) and improved data re-upload features to address poor internet connectivity.
Scaling Verified Climate Action
The transition from manual estimations to digital solutions has delivered substantial benefits. Communities not only see their local environment thrive, but also receive fair compensation based on high-integrity carbon credits. By securing 98% accuracy in forest biometric tracking, TREEO Indonesia is closing the gap between smallholder efforts and global environmental.
Why This Project Matters
Bandung shows what's possible when a protected-area restriction (no timber harvest) is treated not as a limitation, but as a design constraint that sharpens the model. By building income around carbon trading and biochar rather than logging, and by letting field data reshape the planting strategy in real time, the project is restoring a disaster-prone landscape while giving a 107-member cooperative a genuine long-term stake in its recovery.