Implementing Community Forestry in Indonesia: Tale of Two Villages
Authors
Hizkia Respatiadi
In Indonesia, the constitution states that all natural resources remain under the control of the state. With that being said, forests are managed by either the central or provincial government. This however has been shown to be ineffective in reducing deforestation. In recent years, the central government has gradually granted more local communities more rights in regards to how they manage the forest within their proximity, however these steps are not enough to stop the rapid pace of deforestation in the country.
Based on the two case studies done within this paper, it is concluded that complementary policies and activities are needed to support the property rights of the local community to achieve the intended beneficial outcomes. These policies include, educating villagers on the changes that lead to economic development, the implementation of capacity building programs, and greater engagement with external stakeholders.
