Three Generations of Forest Peoples’ Empowerment in Indonesia: Process Towards Sustainable and Equitable Forest Management

Jun Harbi; Yukun Cao; James Thomas Erbaugh; Faris Rafi Almay Widagdo; Jerry Mauri; Supriyanto; Noril Milantara

doi:10.7226/jtfm.26.2.91

Jurnal Manajemen Hutan Tropika (Aug 2020)

Three Generations of Forest Peoples’ Empowerment in Indonesia: Process Towards Sustainable and Equitable Forest Management

Jun Harbi,
Yukun Cao ,
James Thomas Erbaugh,
Faris Rafi Almay Widagdo ,
Jerry Mauri ,
Supriyanto,
Noril Milantara

Affiliations

Jun Harbi: Forestry Economics and Management, College of Economics and Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China 150040
Yukun Cao: Forestry Economics and Management, College of Economics and Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China 150040
James Thomas Erbaugh: Environmental Studies Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA 03755
Faris Rafi Almay Widagdo: Forestry Economics and Management, College of Economics and Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China 150040
Jerry Mauri: Forestry Economics and Management, College of Economics and Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China 150040
Supriyanto: Department of Mechanical and Biosystem, Faculty of Agriculture Engineering and Technology, Academic Ring Road, Campus IPB Dramaga, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia 16680
Noril Milantara: Forestry Program Study, Muhammadiyah University of West Sumatera, Padang, Indonesia 251724Department of Mechanical and Biosystem, Faculty of Agriculture Engineering and Technology, Academic Ring Road, Campus IPB Dramaga, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia 16680Three Generations of Forest Peoples' Empowerment in Indonesia: Process Towards Sustainable and Equitable Forest ManagementKeywords: forest peoples, empowerment, forest conservation, human well-being, socio-cultural dynamics1Forestry Economics and Management, College of Economics and Management, Northeast Forestry University,Human activities that alter land cover have destroyed natural ecosystems and caused conflict. In Indonesia, community-based forest management (CBFM) policies implemented by the government seek to empower communities, ameliorate forest conversion, and reduce environmental conflict. This article critically assesses contemporary CBFM policy in Indonesia by analyzing its history and outcomes through policy analysis. To systematically review previous literature on CBFM, this research uses the PRISMA method. It finds that communities are often able to manage forest areas sustainably through sociocultural systems that combine management customs and culture. Empowerment through CBFM policy therefore promises to promote community subsistence, equity, and security regarding forest management. However, granting total resource rights to communities can result in land conversion unless managerial safeguards are in place. Many studies find that the clarity of land boundaries, the consistency of regulation, and the partiality of land governance drive CBFM program success. To facilitate land governance for the successful implementation of Indonesian social forestry, communities need access rights, authority to manage forests, and sufficient knowledge transfer to participate in formal forest management. In contrast to previous iterations of CBFM in Indonesia, current social forestry policy acknowledges these governance needs and seeks to implement them. Received January 23, 2020/Accepted June 30, 2020 *Correspondence author, email: [email protected] Studies Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA 037552Forestry Program Study, Muhammadiyah University of Palembang, Palembang, Indonesia 30263Coupled human-natural systems refer to the interacting components of social and ecological systems; forest systems are a specific subset of coupled human-natural systems (Vitousek et al., 1997; Dietz et al., 2007; Olsson & Gooch, 2019). In forest systems, people directly harvest food, fuel, and fibre. However, extensive conversion of forest cover has altered landscapes around the globe (Haddad et al., 2015). The extent of human intervention across global landscapes is referred to as the "human footprint" (Belote, 2018). Over 75% of the planet's land surface has been affected by the human footprint, which has had negative impacts on biodiversity conservation (Venter et al., 2016). Ensuring continued human well-being does not compromise forest landscapes and the biodiversity they contain is one of the IntroductionRecent research estimates that up to 65% of the world's land area is controlled by community-based tenure systems (RRI, 2015) and an estimated 350 million people live in and depend on forestlands (Chao, 2012). Though widespread, community-based land tenure varies drastically in terms of the rights “forest communities” hold over the forests in 1which they live . Table 1 presents a basic framework for understanding the resource rights that forest communities can hold (Schlager & Ostrom, 1992). There are four categories of right holders for forest peoples: owners, proprietors, claimants, and authorised users. The extent of greatest environmental challenges of the modern era (Mansuri & Rao, 2004). The extent of community-based tenure highlights the importance of community-based forest management (CBFM).Scientific ArticleISSN: 2087-0469Jurnal Manajemen Hutan Tropika, 26(2), 91-1 , August 202004EISSN: 2089-2063DOI: 10.7226/jtfm.26. .9121 In this research, the term 'forest community' describes human populations that live in and/or around the forest area, and who derive some benefits from forests. Another commonly used term is 'forest people,' which refers to a community that lives in a forest landscape and has developed traditional ways of life and knowledge that are attuned to forest environments (Chao, 2012). Others terms often refer to anthropogenic forest uses, such as “hunter-gatherers” and “shifting cultivators.” These terms are often used to refer to rural populations, including indigenous and traditional people, in substantially forested and developing countries (Newton et al. 2016).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7226/jtfm.26.2.91
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 26, no. 2
pp. 91 – 104

Abstract

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Human activities that alter land cover have destroyed natural ecosystems and caused conflict. In Indonesia, community-based forest management (CBFM) policies implemented by the government seek to empower communities, ameliorate forest conversion, and reduce environmental conflict. This article critically assesses contemporary CBFM policy in Indonesia by analyzing its history and outcomes through policy analysis. To systematically review previous literature on CBFM, this research uses the PRISMA method. It finds that communities are often able to manage forest areas sustainably through sociocultural systems that combine management customs and culture. Empowerment through CBFM policy therefore promises to promote community subsistence, equity, and security regarding forest management. However, granting total resource rights to communities can result in land conversion unless managerial safeguards are in place. Many studies find that the clarity of land boundaries, the consistency of regulation, and the partiality of land governance drive CBFM program success. To facilitate land governance for the successful implementation of Indonesian social forestry, communities need access rights, authority to manage forests, and sufficient knowledge transfer to participate in formal forest management. In contrast to previous iterations of CBFM in Indonesia, current social forestry policy acknowledges these governance needs and seeks to implement them.

Published in Jurnal Manajemen Hutan Tropika

ISSN: 2087-0469 (Print); 2089-2063 (Online)
Publisher: Bogor Agricultural University
Country of publisher: Indonesia
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Forestry
Website: http://journal.ipb.ac.id/index.php/jmht

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