Following a series of multi-stakeholder consultations throughout 2026, GREEN for Riau is now bringing the community consent process directly to the subdistrict level.
SIAK, 29 October 2026 – The GREEN for Riau Initiative conducted a pilot implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), known in Indonesia as PADIATAPA, in Sungai Apit Subdistrict, Siak District, Riau Province. The pilot marks a further step in GREEN for Riau’s preparations for jurisdictional REDD+, ensuring that communities receive complete and adequate information before freely deciding whether to participate.
Since early 2026, GREEN for Riau has held provincial-level workshops and multi-stakeholder dialogues, alongside outreach activities and focus group discussions across four district and city clusters: Cluster 1—Kampar and Rokan Hulu (30 April 2026); Cluster 2—Siak, Pelalawan, and Kepulauan Meranti (25 February 2026); Cluster 3—Bengkalis, Dumai, and Rokan Hilir (28 April 2026); and Cluster 4—Indragiri Hulu, Indragiri Hilir, and Kuantan Singingi (27 February 2026). These activities were followed by public consultations on Riau Province’s REDD+ architecture documents in July 2026. The Sungai Apit pilot continues this FPIC process through direct engagement with communities on the ground.
The meeting brought together the Sungai Apit Subdistrict Government, the Riau Provincial FPIC Task Force, representatives of Bunsur Village, the Suku Asli Anak Rawa Indigenous community of Kampung Penyengat, the social forestry groups Gapoktan Mekar Tani Makmur and LPHD Rawa Mekar Jaya, and representatives of PT Arara Abadi and PT RAPP. A total of 50 people participated, comprising 35 men and 15 women. Participants received information on GREEN for Riau’s objectives, the opportunities and risks of participation, benefit-sharing principles, and the Suara Rimba grievance channel.
Albert Andri Anwar, Head of Sungai Apit Subdistrict, encouraged participants to express their views openly and called for programme information to be communicated in simple language. He emphasized that environmental protection must respond to local conditions and community needs, and that community participation must be free from coercion.
Irfan Kemal Putra, GREEN for Riau’s Safeguards Expert, explained that international funding for the programme remains in the preparation stage, meaning that benefit amounts and benefit-sharing arrangements have not yet been finalized. Opportunities, requirements, and risks must therefore be communicated transparently from the outset. Communities have the right to accept, decline, or defer their decision until they understand the information they need.
Group Discussions and Deliberation
Following the presentations, participants held discussions in groups representing village government, Indigenous Peoples, social forestry groups, and companies. These discussions provided space for participants to share their understanding, expectations, concerns, and questions about GREEN for Riau. Questions that could not be answered during the meeting will be followed up by the GREEN for Riau team.
In accordance with FPIC principles, participants were not asked to make a decision that day. Each group was given time to deliberate within its own community or institution before deciding whether to accept, decline, or defer participation in the programme.
Alongside providing a forum for exchanging information, the group discussions gathered requests for clarification from each stakeholder group. The recorded comments and questions will guide the GREEN for Riau team in preparing further explanations and supporting deliberation within communities and institutions, without pre-empting communities’ decisions on programme participation.
Next Steps
The implementing team also evaluated the Sungai Apit activity. The findings will inform improvements to the approach before FPIC is implemented in other districts and cities across Riau by district and city FPIC task forces, with assistance from the provincial task force. The GREEN for Riau team will follow up on unanswered questions and coordinate further meetings with participants in Sungai Apit.