Forest and Society: Initiating a Southeast Asia Journal for Theoretical, Empirical, and Regional Scholarship

Welcome to our first edition. We are excited to provide a new, and what we believe, timely avenue for presenting research findings and publications in Southeast Asia, for scholars interested in Southeast Asia. Although Southeast Asia as a region of study has provided tremendous contributions to theory and practice regarding forests and society across the social and natural sciences, avenues for cultivating a scholarship of the region remain limited. We seek to engage on a broad set of themes through the application of targeted research related to timely issues affecting the human-environment interface in a diverse region that we have much to learn from. We take a broad understanding of the forest - as a politico-administrative unit, a geographic area, and as an ecological unit. We do not limit the forest to its boundaries but rather seek to engage on the dynamics of change in social and ecological processes. Under such an umbrella, new approaches and methods become possible. ‘Forest' can be analyzed as land use, ecological process, divided across watersheds, as landscapes, mountains, and more. The lens of ‘society' allows for opportunities to understand change, whether it is the interaction between a resource to be preserved, exploited, forgotten, or erased. Forests, therefore, operate as the clues of what once was, has become, and what can be. Particularly in the age of climate change, riddled by increasingly complex challenges, a new dimension also emerges for the forest. Different perspectives at different scales – from the local to the global – provide equally important dimensions, and are those which we seek to provide avenues to learn from, and communicate through this journal. As the reader will find in this inaugural issue, we have compiled an initial set of studies across multiple methods and geographies that help to set the terms of future editions. We examine: historical political ecologies of land use around opium cultivation in the uplands of Thailand; emerging governance regimes of corporate social responsibility in Myanmar; the capacity of new state institutions to manage land conflict in forest estate lands in Indonesia; a close analysis of forest harvesting and management in a mangrove forest in Malaysia; and, an economic valuation of non-timber forest products in a national park in Indonesia. There is much to choose from and much more to delve into. We hope that this issue serves as an impetus to engage on these timely themes and further encourages new ideas for submissions

Menunggu Godot? Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu (Svlk) untuk Memperbaiki Sistem Pranata dan Tata Kelola Kehutanan Indonesia

Melalui studi yang telah dilakukan dapat mengidentifikasi simpul-simpul kritis yang tidak sesuai dengan upaya memperbaiki sistem pranata dan tata kelola kehutanan Indonesia dalam praktek pengelolaan hutan, industri dan pemasaran. Untuk kemudian merekomendasikan perbaikan demi efektivitas implementasi SVLK. Berbagai pihak-baik institusi layanan publik (kehutanan dan non-kehutanan) maupun para pelaku ekonomi- mempunyai kontribusi terhadap buruknya sistem pranata dan tata kelola kehutanan. Kebijakan implementasi SVLK oleh Kementerian yang dibarebgi dengan beberapa deregulasi untuk memperbaiki kualitas layanan ke arah akuntabilitas dan transparansi dan mengeliminasi praktek korupsi. SVLK belum mampu dterapkan dengan baik karena sering tersandera oleh sistem pranata dan tata kelola yang ada, termasuk sistem yang berlaku di sektor/bidang non-kehutanan

Social Capital Role in Solving Land Degradation in Tulis Watershed

The research aimed at studying social capital role in land degradation solving of Tulis watershed. The parameters under observation were social capital (trust, norm, and social networking), social-economic condition, and land management in Tulis watershed. The parameters were achieved by using data triangulation principle. The analysis used was Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The model used five variables, which were social capital (X1), society structure (X2), land using conflict (Y1), land management strategy (Y2), and land degradation (Y3). Perspective of social capital theory could be used to explain the interaction between society socio-cultural behaviors and land degradation of Tulis watershed. The model proved that society structure with effective social capital, low conflict in land using, and good land management strategy afforded to decrease land degradation of Tulis watershed

Beyond good wood: Exploring strategies for small-scale forest growers and enterprises to benefit from legal and sustainable certification in Indonesia

There is a growing trend towards small-scale forest operators engaging in certification initiatives in response to growing demands for certified timber. We aimed to analyse whether certified smallholders gain better access to timber markets and better financial incentives. We used three smallholder forest enterprises from Gunungkidul and Kulon Progo districts, Java, Indonesia as case studies of different managerial operations. Two were farmer cooperatives and the other was an external trading company in partnership with village-level farmer groups. Different certification schemes and managerial approaches were analysed whether such factors influenced the ability of smallholders to access certified timber markets and obtain improved offers for their timber. We found that smallholders find it challenging to enter and participate in certified timber markets and to obtain the promised premium prices. The obvious costs of certification and uncertain benefits are major challenges for smallholders. Even when market opportunities are present, certification alone is insufficient to tap into these markets. Certified forest enterprises need dedicated managers with adequate entrepreneurial skills to establish networks and contacts with potential buyers, and to actively seek information on what is specified by certified timber processors

Gasifikasi Serbuk Gergaji Batang Kelapa untuk Menghasilkan Bahan Bakar Gas

Indonesia merupakan negara penghasil kelapa dengan hasil yang melimpah. Batang kelapa dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan baku furniture dimana hasil sampingnya berupa serbuk gergaji. Serbuk gergaji kayu kelapa merupakan salah satu biomassa yang dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan bakar gas atau syngas dengan metode gasifikasi. Gasifikasi dilakukan dengan perbedaan variabel berat umpan dan sistem operasi updraft dan sistem operasi downdraft. Penelitian ini menggunakan variabel bebas berupa serbuk gergaji kayu kelapa. Sedangkan variabel terikat yang akan didapatkan yaitu berupa output syngas, suhu gasifikasi, dan waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk menghasilkan syngas. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa semakin banyak umpan serbuk gergaji kayu kelapa, maka semakin banyak syngas yang dihasilkan dan semakin lama waktu produksi syngas. Berdasarkan analisis syngas, didapatkan hasil pada gasifikasi updraft sebesar 15,8670% CO; 6,4133% CH4; 20,3237% H2 dan gasifikasi downdraft sebesar 13,7617% CO; 0,5693% CH4; 6,1820% H2. Sistem operasi downdraft lebih optimal jika dibandingkan dengan sistem operasi updraft berdasarkan nilai efektifitas yang ditinjau dari konsentrasi CO senilai 53,5529 : 46,4471; konsentrasi CH4 senilai 91,8465 : 8,1535; konsentrasi H2 senilai 76,6767 : 4,9204. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa gasifikasi downdraft lebih efektif dalam mengkonversi serbuk gergaji kayu kelapa menjadi bahan bakar gas

Semburat Cahaya Istimewa: Inovasi dan kreasi pengelolaan hutan KPH Yogyakarta

Buku Semburat Cahaya Istimewa: Inovasi dan Kreasi Kelola Hutan KPH Yogyakarta ini disusun dari bagian dari studi “Peningkatan Efektifitas Model Tata Kelola dalam Upaya Mendukung Pengelolaan Hutan Bekelanjutan dengan Menggunakan Studi Kasus Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan (KPH) Yogyakarta”. Buku ini ditujukan untuk mendokumentasikan kegiatan penelitian tersebut dalam rangka memformulasikan rekomendasi untuk penyusunan kelembagaan kehutanan yang tangguh di tingkat tapak. Kegiatan penelitian tersebut dilaksanakan atas dukungan CIFOR bekerja sama dengan Sebijak Institute, Fakultas Kehutanan UGM dengan KPH Yogyakarta. Kebijakan pembentukan KPH sudah lama dipandang sebagai salah satu solusi untuk merespons kebutuhan akan pengelolaan hutan di tingkat tapak yang profesional, mandiri, dan berdaya guna untuk melaksanakan pengelolaan hutan yang efisien dan lestari. Balai KPH Yogyakarta merupakan salah satu KPH pionir yang unggul sehingga diharapkan dapat menjadi salah satu rujukan utama bagi KPH-KPH lain di Indonesia

Teknologi Pengolahan Kandungan Kromium dalam Limbah Penyamakan Kulit Menggunakan Proses Adsorpsi: Review

Permasalahan yang sering terjadi pada industri-industri saat ini adalah pengolahan limbah yang tidak sempurna. Salah satu jenis industri yang memerlukan perhatian serta pengolahannya adalah limbah yang mengandung kromium seperti pada industri penyamakan kulit. Limbah penyamakan kulit masih menyisihkan logam-logam berbahaya dalam limbahnya seperti logam berat kromium (Cr). Kromium yang digunakan untuk menghasilkan olahan kulit yang lebih halus. Sekitar 30-40% kromium akan terbawa dalam limbah cair penyamakan. Tingginya kadar kromium yang tersisa dan terbawa dalam limbah dapat menyebabkan toksisitas akut dan kronis terhadap lingkungan bahkan juga sangat berbahaya terhadap mahluk hidup. Salah satu penanganannya adalah dengan menggunakan metode adsorpsi yang dimana merupakan salah satu metode alternatif dengan berbagai keuntungan yang ada. Biaya penanganan yang relatif murah, proses yang sederhana, dan kemungkinan dapat didaur ulang merupakan beberapa keuntungan dari proses adsorbsi. Selain itu, proses adsorbsi dapat dimaksimalkan dengan menggunakan adsorben yang memiliki spesifikasi potensi tertentu terhadap penyerapan kromium. Artikel ini me-review perbandingan metode adsorbsi batch dan kontinyu pada proses pengolahan kandungan kromium dalam limbah penyamakan kulit.The waste management issue is one of the biggest problems in the industries recently. Every industry has a high probability of releasing toxic by-product to the environment in the form of waste. One example is in the leather tanning industry. Leather tanning waste still removes harmful metals in its waste, such as heavy metal chromium (Cr). Chromium is used to produce finer skin products. About 30-40% chromium will be carried in the tanning liquid waste. The high chromium levels remaining and carried away in the waste can cause acute and chronic toxicity to the environment and even very harmful to living things. Adsorption is one of the highly recommended methods available to overcome this problem. Relatively low handling costs, simple processes, and the possibility of being recycled are some of the adsorption process's advantages. In addition, the adsorption process can be maximized by using adsorbents that have specific potential specifications for chromium absorption. This article reviews batch and continuous adsorption methods in the processing of chromium content in tannery waste

POLITIK MIKRO LMDH WANA LESTARI DALAM IMPLEMENTASI PROGRAM PHBM DI DESA TAWANGSARI, KECAMATAN KALIGESING, KABUPATEN PURWOREJO

The implementation of Pengelolaan Hutan Bersama Masyarakat (PHBM) program opens the opportunities for local communities to parcitipate actively in forestry management as a whole. Forest Village Community Institution (FVCI) is designed as grassroot society representation and bridge Perhutani together with society and other stakeholders so that one of PHBM goals for the society welfare can be realized. This research aimed to analyze decision and policy-making process and achieved benefit distribution within FVCI. This research was done in Wana Lestari FVCI, Tawangsari village, Kaligesing sub district, Purworejo district. The FVCI was chosen because it's proximity to the city centre and it's category as an independent FVCI according to Perhutani's category. The research adopted quantitative approach using survey method. Research used primary and secondary data collected by field survey method. Samples were taken by purposive sampling. Descriptive analysis was conducted to determine decision and policy making process in FVCI and to determine the benefit distribution in FVCI. The results showed that decision and policy-making process in Wana Lestari FVCI dominated by group committee and certain figures come from certain society groups in Tawangsari village. And also, distribution of benefits in FCVI Wana Lestari enjoyed by all members just in the form of planting below the stands. Benefit distribution in form of fund sharing, productive bussiness, and other assistances is unclear use