San Francisco, CA – A groundbreaking new analysis by Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and geospatial mapping partner TheTreeMap reveals that illegal canal construction inside Indonesia’s protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve has reached crisis levels, threatening critical peatlands and endangered wildlife in what’s known as the Orangutan Capital of the World.
Using ultra high-resolution satellite imagery captured by Pléiades Neo satellites, RAN has mapped a sprawling and unlawful network of 253 kilometers of canals dug inside the reserve, 139 kilometers of which were developed after December 2020, in clear violation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) cut-off date.
“This is not just a violation of conservation policy – it’s a full-scale ecological assault,” said Laurel Sutherlin, Senior Communications Strategist at Rainforest Action Network. “These canals are draining ancient peatlands that serve as vital carbon sinks and habitat for critically endangered Sumatran orangutans, tigers, and other iconic wildlife species.”
A Conservation Emergency in One of the World’s Richest Forests
Located in Aceh, Indonesia, the Leuser Ecosystem is the only place on Earth where orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinos still coexist in the wild. The Singkil-Bengkung Trumon landscape in its southwest corner contains the most intact stretch of lowland peat forest remaining in the region – and one of the most important carbon stores on the planet.
Despite its status as a nationally protected wildlife reserve, Rawa Singkil has suffered a dramatic increase in deforestation, driven by illegal palm oil development. The destruction begins with the excavation of deep canals to drain peatlands, enabling large-scale land clearing for plantations.
RAN’s recent Orangutan Capital Under Siege report identified not just deforestation, but the potential infiltration of illegal palm oil into global supply chains through major traders and household brands.
Mapping the Most Destructive Canals for Urgent Restoration
Among the 253 km of illegal canals, RAN and TheTreeMap identified ten primary canals totaling 44 km that cut deep into the reserve’s core peat swamp forests. The largest spans 6.1 km. These primary canals have become hydrological arteries of destruction – and must be prioritized for immediate blocking and restoration.
The analysis was conducted using cutting-edge satellite technology and verified with multiple imagery sources, including Planet/NICFI and TripleSat, allowing precise tracking of canal development since key corporate and regulatory cut-off dates.
Illegal Palm Oil and Global Supply Chain Accountability
RAN’s analysis implicates a number of global brands – including Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Mondelēz, PepsiCo, and Nissin Foods – as potentially linked to illegal palm oil entering their supply chains via known traders such as Wilmar, Golden Agri Resources, Musim Mas, and Royal Golden Eagle Group.
Financial institutions are also under scrutiny. Japanese megabank Mitsubishi UFJ has provided over $680 million in funding to Indonesian palm oil operations tied to ongoing destruction, including companies operating in and around Rawa Singkil.
A Call to Action: Protect the Orangutan Capital of the World
Rainforest Action Network is calling on major brands, traders, investors, and government authorities to:
- Immediately act to block the ten most destructive canals and restore peatland hydrology in Rawa Singkil.
- Scale up investment in proven jurisdictional conservation models, especially in Aceh Selatan, the hotspot for illegal deforestation.
- Strengthen enforcement and traceability to eliminate illegal palm oil from global supply chains.
“We know where the damage is happening, who is responsible, and how to fix it,” said Sutherlin. “The time to act is now – before more of this irreplaceable forest is lost forever.”
Explore the Data
High-resolution maps and canal data are now live and publicly available via Nusantara Atlas, powered by TheTreeMap:
👉 View the interactive map