Law No.26/2007 on Spatial Planning has designated important conservation and areas of high biodiversity as National Strategic Areas. One such area is the Gunung Leuser National Park, and the broader Leuser Ecosystem.

The area provides water to almost 4 million people, is of global importance to the conservation of biodiversity, and is an important status symbol for us here in Aceh. BPKEL applauds the national governments tough stance on criminal activities in the National Strategic Areas such as Leuser; Law No.26/2007 allows for criminal charges to be brought against not only those who carry out illegal activities in the area, but also to those who give permission for criminal activities to take place. At BPKEL, we feel this is an important milestone, and might deter corrupt officials from ‘selling’ permits to conduct activities that might be damaging to the areas sensitive ecosystem. The maximum sentence is 5 years imprisonment and a Rp 500 million fine.

National Strategic Areas is a priority area because of its spatial arrangement is very important to have national influence on state sovereignty, national defense and security, economic, social, cultural, and / or the environment, including areas designated as world heritage. (Article 1, paragraph 17 Indonesian Government Regulation - Peraturan Pemerintah No. 26/ 2008 about National Spatial Plan)

Establishment of National Strategic Area, point 4 : Leuser Ecosystem (Province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam) (I/B/1) - (Annex 10, Indonesian Government Regulation - Peraturan Pemerintah No. 26/ 2008). (I/B/1), I means stages of development. B means Rehabilitation and Development of National Strategic Area With Environmental Interests Focal Points. B/1 means Rehabilitation / Revitalization.

One policy to development National Strategic Area related to Environment Interests : Preservation and Enhancement of Conservation Areas Designated as World Heritage, Biosphere Reserves and Ramsar (Article 9, paragraph 1 item f. Indonesian Government Regulation - Peraturan Pemerintah No. 26/ 2008)

Strategies for preservation and improvement of function and environmental support includes:

• Define national strategic area function as protected areas ;
• Prevent the utilization of space in national strategic areas that has the potential to reduce the function of protected areas;
• Restrict the use of space around national strategic areas that has the potential to reduce the function of protected areas;
• Restrict the development of infrastructure and facilities in and around the national strategic area that could trigger cultivation activities developments;
• Develop cultivation activities with no construction in the vicinity of national strategic areas that serves as a buffer zone that separates the protected area with cultivation area with construction.
• Rehabilitating protected areas function declining due to the impact of the growing use of space within and around the national strategic areas.

(Article 9, paragraph 2 item a - f. Indonesian Government Regulation - Peraturan Pemerintah No. 26/ 2008)