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| Villagers protest against visitors to their forest |
TheIndonesian government needs the support of its indigenous peoples to reforestits devastated woods. But they have become suspicious of visitors examiningtrees. They fear a sell-off to foreign investors.
Angryvillagers shout, clench their fists and wave banners at a group ofinternational visitors who have come to see the Mejet Forest on the northernpart of the Indonesian island of Lombok.
This isn'tthe reception that the visitors were expecting. The international collection offorestry officials and NGO experts came with good intentions – to take part ina conference aimed at forest conservation.
They want tovisit a successful project, but the villagers are disgruntled and suspicious.They believe the tour is aimed at stirring interest among potential foreigninvestors, looking to buy land.
This hasoften been the case in the past.
After muchto and fro, the forest tour is cancelled. Instead, visitors and villagers meetwith the local regent.
A life-longaffinity
This iswhere disputes are traditionally settled, and the villagers become calm.
They hearabout the visitors' true motives - to learn. It's something the villagers arehappy to address: They fear for their livelihood and many have invested a lotto make use of the forest.
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| The villagers want to protect the forest for their children |
Using theforest is something the villagers take for granted, but it is considered a bigproblem for the Indonesian government.
TheIndonesian forest ministry estimates that there are about 33,000 villageslocated on or nearby forested areas owned by the state.
Accordingto the law, they are using the forest illegally, even though they have beenliving there for many generations.
In order tosolve the problem, the Indonesian government has offered to lease the forest tothe indigenous population.
The localvillagers get the right to use a particular woodland in return for committingto take care of it.
But whathappens if the forest used is also part of a wildlife sanctuary or atraditional site?
Protectingthe forest from within
At the footof Rinjai, the second highest vulcano in Indonesia, lies the village Santongand the Santong Forest.
A trailleads deeper into the forest. It is bordered by tall trees rising to the sky.They serve as a protective shield for coffee, banana and vanilla plants.
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| The locals grow coffee and vanilla in the Santong Forest |
To boostreforestation, the population here uses agroforestry, a combination ofagricultural and forestry techniques, since 1996. The forest covers about 221hectares, but the indigenous people are allowed to use just 140 hectares, asthe remainder is protected landscape. About 260 families live on the forest'syield.
Everythingappears to be in harmony. But there are areas of conflict, according toMasidep, a representative of the local Lombok tribe Sasak.
"Mostof them think about profit only," Masidep says. But for the indigenouspeople, the forest's protection is of much higher value. "We need toconserve the forest and also water resources, because water is giving life.Everyone needs to respect that," he says.
Traditionalcustodians
The Sasaktribe is an ethnic group that makes up 85 percent of the inhabitants on theIndonesian island Lombok.
Masidep isproud to announce that he can track his line of ancestry back to the 17thCentury. In this area, the Sasak clans have been guarding the forest forcenturies. Traditionally, the Rangga family is responsible for protecting theforest, says Rangga Topan Yamanullah.
The Sasakscan prove that they have been living in Lombok for a very long time."There are traditions about old rituals: If you enter the forest, you haveto clean yourself first. There are certain days and times, when it is favorableto go. It was different from today," Rangga Topan Yamanullah says.
"Today,it is only considered important what individuals are earning. We on the otherhand are here to conserve the balance of the world."
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| This river is a sacred site for the Sasak |
The Sasaksfeel that preserving the forest is part of their life-task. But of all thepeople using Santong Forest, only a third are Sasak. Most are migrants fromelsewhere in Indonesia. The Sasaks hope that the Indonesian government willprovide them with the same rights to use the forest as the rest of thepopulation.
But theyalso expect the government to protect their sacred sites and prevent theforests from being turned into just another source of production for theeconomy.
A raceagainst time
The SantongForest example shows that a lot of problems remain unresolved. Who owns theright to use the forest, where are the borders that separate one forest fromanother, and how can the local population help promote conservation withoutsuffering economic loss?
TheIndonesian government has yet to answer these questions.
And time isrunning out: Indonesia loses a million hectare of forest per year, despiteintroducing a two-year moratorium on cutting down trees.
Internationalsurveys show that the best stewards are those people who have been livingwithin the forest for generations. So it makes sense for the Indonesiangovernment to team up with the indigenous community.
ErnaRosdiana from the Directorate of Social Forestry Development says the forestministry is working on solutions. The visit to Lombok has opened her eyes tomany of the problems. She says she plans to return with something to show, andhopes for a warmer reception next time around.
Author:Ziphora Robina /sst
Editor:Nathan Witkop
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