Should drill or shouldn’t drill? Urban and rural dwellers’ acceptance of geothermal power plant in Mount Slamet protection forest, Indonesia

Geothermal is one of the new renewable energy, which is more environmentally friendly than the existing fossil energy and has great potential to become an alternative source of energy in the future. However, the level of social acceptance of geothermal power plants operating in forest areas has not been widely studied. This study aims to reveal the social acceptance of affected residents toward the exploration of Baturaden geothermal power plant, operating in the protection forest area of ​​Mount Slamet. The survey was conducted online  to indirectly affected residents living mostly in Banyumas urban areas, while the offline face-to-face survey was administered to the directly affected residents in Sambirata and Karang Tengah villages. A total of 286 samples were analyzed. It was found that the majority of respondents preferred not to continue the establishment of the geothermal power plant, but both rural and urban dwellers have distinctive responses and reasonings. The rural tended to have stronger rejection compared to the urban residents. The acceptance of the project in both groups combined was motivated mainly by the prospect of electricity from more environmentally friendly energy sources and compliance to government policy. Those who refused tend to see from the negative impacts on the disruptions of the daily livelihood in rural areas and environmental damages. Three attitude factors significantly affect the continuation of drilling operation of GPP, namely: economic prospects of geothermal utilization in protection forests, technological optimism to migate the engative impacts, and perceived environmental concerns. To increase the social acceptance, it is suggested that policy makers and energy industry players should integrate the mitigation measures by using more proper technology within the project budget and act harmoniously to increase public awareness of the use of renewable and cleaner energy as well as pay attention to the health, welfare and culture of the local communit

Land Cover Based on Geophysical Characteristics in the Mount Sirimau Protection Forest Group, Ambon City, Maluku Province

The protected forest as life support ideally has a good performance in this case its vegetation, so that its main function can run well. However, as a forest with various functions, the protected forest of Ambon City, especially the Mount Sirimau Protection Forest Group as a strategic protected forest is located upstream of Ambon City which is very influential on the activities of Ambon City as its downstream, because it has a social and economic impact. The performance of a forest area can be seen from its land cover. In addition, the geophysical characteristics of an area will also affect the land cover of the area. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the condition of land cover in the Mount Sirimau Protection Forest Group based on its geophysical characteristics. The research method used was the survey method and the data analysis method was descriptive analysis. The land covers in the Mount Sirimau Protection Forest Group consisted of seven land covers, spreading over soil types, rock types, topography, and slopes. Intensive management of protected forests is needed according to their geophysical characteristics so that the function of protected forests can be more optimal. &nbsp

Oil Palm Plantations, Forest Conservation and Indigenous Peoples in West Papua Province: What Lies Ahead?

Oil palm plantations are currently expanding to the eastern part of Indonesia, especially in West Papua province. Many oil palm permits issued in West Papua occupy intact biodiversity-rich forest areas which have essential value for indigenous Papuans' socio-cultural life. This article discusses expansion of oil palm plantations in West Papua province, and its impacts on forests and indigenous people. It also assesses whether the plantations fit the Special Autonomy Law and Sustainable Development Regulation goals of the province. In general, plantations are being established in forest areas, and further planned expansion threatens intact and biodiversity-rich forests. In addition, plantation development rarely considers the socio-cultural issues of indigenous Papuans. As a result, customary rights and institutions are commonly overlooked, undermined, or violated. Oil palm plantations are not necessarily compatible with sustainable development regulation goals, and need to reconcile its overall economic and conservation agenda.

Local community's preferences for accepting a forestry partnership contract to grow pulpwood in Indonesia:A choice experiment study

Forestry partnership schemes have been deployed to integrate industrial plantations' and local communities' interests in forest resource management. However, the unsatisfactory impacts of the scheme lead to both parties reassessing the value of the partnership schemes. This article explores local communities' willingness to remain in or opt-out of the partnership schemes designed to grow pulpwood in Indonesia, and investigates their preferences for accepting the modified contract attributes. The contract attributes include contract length, labor participation, insurance, training, road improvement and income. A choice experiment approach was used to estimate preferences of 287 smallholders, of which half were participating with the timber industry under Company-Community Partnership schemes. The results show that a bundle of the contract attributes that could increase local communities' utility are provision of road improvement, higher expected income, and higher timber production insurance. Greater incentives are required to compensate smallholders' loss of utility due to longer contract length and monitoring planted areas. The preferences vary significantly depending on smallholders' participation status in the scheme but not land tenure status. The continuity of the partnership schemes is challenged by a significant number of respondents always rejecting the contract option. The implication of the findings is that designing a bundle of contract attributes focusing on a promotive social safeguard approach likely keeps the participating smallholders in the schemes

Which smallholders are willing to adopt Acacia mangium under long-term contracts? Evidence from a choice experiment study in Indonesia

Smallholder ownership of forests has grown rapidly over the last 25 years, leading to global forest transition; however, incentives are required to keep smallholders growing trees under long-term afforestation contracts. This article reports on smallholders’ willingness to join afforestation programs, growing Acacia mangium under contract on their private farmland. In a Choice Experiment, we examine the effects of policy attributes of afforestation contracts, including contract duration, labour participation, timber insurance, training opportunities, road improvement, and expected income. We report the marginal value of changes in monetary terms. A scale-extended latent class model was used to analyse preference heterogeneity in data of 323 smallholders from three different regions in Indonesia (West Kalimantan, Yogyakarta, and South Sumatera). These regions are at different forest transition stages. Our results indicate that there are four latent preference classes, which value attributes of the contract differently. Individual characteristics (risk orientation, tree growing experiences, andoccupation), and regional differences explain the probability of preference class membership. Our findings have important implications for enhancing afforestation strategies that improve social welfare of smallholders in various forest transition stages

Which smallholders are willing to adopt Acacia mangium under long-term contracts? Evidence from a choice experiment study in Indonesia

Smallholder ownership of forests has grown rapidly over the last 25 years, leading to global forest transition; however, incentives are required to keep smallholders growing trees under long-term afforestation contracts. This article reports on smallholders’ willingness to join afforestation programs, growing Acacia mangium under contract on their private farmland. In a Choice Experiment, we examine the effects of policy attributes of afforestation contracts, including contract duration, labour participation, timber insurance, training opportunities, road improvement, and expected income. We report the marginal value of changes in monetary terms. A scale-extended latent class model was used to analyse preference heterogeneity in data of 323 smallholders from three different regions in Indonesia (West Kalimantan, Yogyakarta, and South Sumatera). These regions are at different forest transition stages. Our results indicate that there are four latent preference classes, which value attributes of the contract differently. Individual characteristics (risk orientation, tree growing experiences, and occupation), and regional differences explain the probability of preference class membership. Our findings have important implications for enhancing afforestation strategies that improve social welfare of smallholders in various forest transition stages.We also thank ACIAR for funding this research as part of the project − “Increasing productivity and profitability of Indonesian smallholder plantations” (FST/2009/ 015), the School of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UWA for financial support, and the John Allwright Fellowship-Australia Award

Locals' Claims of Rights and Access to Forest Resources in Three Forest Management Regimes in Gunungkidul Regency, YOGYAKARTA

One of state forest areas managed by three management regimes is Bunder forest area, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. Three management regimes are the production forest of KPH Yogyakarta, the conservation forest of Tahura, and the educational forest of KHDTK Wanagama I. The differences of management regimes are thought to affect the actual interaction pattern of villagers with the forest. This research aims to compare the actual rights and access of villagers to Bunder forest area in three management regimes in the hope of finding more effective forest management patterns. This research used a qualitative approach through the case study method of the interaction villagers of Bunder, Banaran, Ngleri, and Gading villages with the surrounding forests. The results show that forest management regimes affects the way villagers can access the forests. The aggregate value of the actual rights received by the villagers to the production forest of KPH Yogyakarta is higher than the educational forest of KHDTK Wanagama I. The lowest is management regimes in conservation forest of Tahura. Based on the access mechanisms that empower villagers, the educational forest regime of KHDTK Wanagama I is higher than the production forest regime of KPH Yogyakarta and the conservation forest regime of Tahura. This research recommends defining rights and access to increase certainty about the benefits of forest resources