Reform or reversal: the impact of REDD+ readiness on forest governance in Indonesia

Indonesia has turned its alleged role as global leader of land-based carbon emissions into a role as a global trailblazer exploring modalities for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). REDD+ readiness is largely about improving forest governance, but this itself is a multilayered concept. This article analyses how the processes and practices of REDD+ readiness are leading to various forest governance reforms in Indonesia. We analysed six dimensions of REDD+ readiness progress over the past six years and the way these interact with land tenure reform and land-use planning. We found evidence that (1) tenure issues are taken more seriously, as evidenced by the development of social safeguard mechanisms and efforts to accelerate the gazettement of forest boundaries, although a constitutional court recognition in 2013 for customary forest management is, however, yet to be operationalized; (2) spatial planning relates forests more clearly to other parts of the landscape in terms of compliance with Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) commitments; and (3) the forest and peatland conversion moratorium initiative led to a revamping of forest management. Despite progress, there are still major obstacles to full REDD+ implementation in Indonesia. The discussion focuses on the weaker part of readiness and possible ways forward. Policy relevance Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus (REDD+) was introduced at the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP 13) 2007 in Bali designed to support the efforts of the parties to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhance the forest carbon stock, by means of forest conservation and the sustainable management of forests. This article aims to examine the impact of REDD+ readiness process in Indonesia on transforming existing forest governance. This paper focus the analysis on the two most contentious forest governance issues in Indonesia: land tenure and land-use planning. Such analysis and lessons are relevant for policy-makers in Indonesia in an effort to have a forest governance reform and also the future challenges of forest governance in national and sub-national level in the world of sustainable forest management as well as REDD+ implementation

Reform or reversal: the impact of REDD+ readiness on forest governance in Indonesia

Indonesia has turned its alleged role as global leader of land-based carbon emissions into a role as a global trailblazer exploring modalities for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). REDD+ readiness is largely about improving forest governance, but this itself is a multilayered concept. This article analyses how the processes and practices of REDD+ readiness are leading to various forest governance reforms in Indonesia. We analysed six dimensions of REDD+ readiness progress over the past six years and the way these interact with land tenure reform and land-use planning. We found evidence that (1) tenure issues are taken more seriously, as evidenced by the development of social safeguard mechanisms and efforts to accelerate the gazettement of forest boundaries, although a constitutional court recognition in 2013 for customary forest management is, however, yet to be operationalized; (2) spatial planning relates forests more clearly to other parts of the landscape in terms of compliance with Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) commitments; and (3) the forest and peatland conversion moratorium initiative led to a revamping of forest management. Despite progress, there are still major obstacles to full REDD+ implementation in Indonesia. The discussion focuses on the weaker part of readiness and possible ways forward. Policy relevance Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus (REDD+) was introduced at the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP 13) 2007 in Bali designed to support the efforts of the parties to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhance the forest carbon stock, by means of forest conservation and the sustainable management of forests. This article aims to examine the impact of REDD+ readiness process in Indonesia on transforming existing forest governance. This paper focus the analysis on the two most contentious forest governance issues in Indonesia: land tenure and land-use planning. Such analysis and lessons are relevant for policy-makers in Indonesia in an effort to have a forest governance reform and also the future challenges of forest governance in national and sub-national level in the world of sustainable forest management as well as REDD+ implementation

LUWES: land use planning for low emission development strategy: selected cases from Indonesia

Opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions exist across all sectors of the economy and across a wide geographic area, but emissions from forest and peatland conversion dominate the field, as well as the public debate. With the advent of REDD+, the introduction of an Indonesian action plan for emissions reduction under the remit of the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), and the potential for increased financial flows into carbon-rich landscapes, the question of how to relate national commitment to local context and effective implementation is more important than ever. Rather than focusing on short-term emissions reduction strategies, the debate has shifted towards new ‘clean development’ strategies that focus on maintaining high carbon stocks with low carbon flows, while still achieving development goals

Self-identification of indigenous people in post-independence Indonesia: a historical analysis in the context of REDD+

The reform era around the turn of the century in Indonesia has been followed by a revitalization of local claims to political authority and natural resources on the basis of adat and indigeneity. In May of 2013, the Constitutional Court acknowledged indigenous ownership of forest territories and declassified them from State-owned forest zones without further conceptualizing the notion of indigeneity and its relation to land tenure and territorial conflicts. Drawing on a historical review of the adat discourse, this paper demonstrates how Dutch scholars during the colonial time have supported a definition of indigeneity based on territorialisation. Using a case study from the interior of Kalimantan, we provide evidence that privileging indigenous communities based on the notion of territoriality and prior occupation of the land, supported by a colonial definition of adat rights tends to exclude right-holders who do not necessarily fit clear territorial niches. This administrative practice of essentializing the social structuring of the landscape matches the requirements used in the context of REDD+ but ignores the fact that social and territorial boundaries of ethnic groups are permeable and dynamic due to social-political interactions which create contention and conflict especially in the context of the recent introduction of carbon rights and benefit sharing under the context of REDD+