Persepsi Masyarakat terhadap Gangguan Gajah Sumatera (Elephas Maximus Sumatranus) di Kabupaten Ogan Komering Ilir

Penelitian konflik gajah dengan masyarakat telah dilakukan di Kecamatan Sungai Menang Kabupaten Ogan Komering Ilir, Provinsi Sumatera Selatan. Penelitian dilakukan di tiga desa pada bulan September 2015 sampai Desember 2015, dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui persepsi serta karakteristik sosial-ekonomi masyarakat terkait konflik terhadap nilai konservasi gajah. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara secara terstruktur, responden dipilih secara sengaja (purposive sampling). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tingkat pendidikan masyarakat di Desa Gajah Mati dan Gajah Mulya masih rendah yaitu masing-masing 51% dan 47% merupakan lulusan SD, sedangkan tingkat pendidikan di Desa Gajah Mukti sebesar 58% adalah lulusan SMA. Mayoritas responden termasuk dalam kelas usia produktif dan bekerja sebagai petani ladang. Pendapatan rata-rata masyarakat di Desa Gajah Mati sebesar Rp1.814.583 per bulan, sedangkan di Desa Gajah Mukti dan Gajah Mulya masing-masing secara berurutan adalah Rp1.158.750 dan Rp1.060.833. Gangguan gajah terjadi di semua desa responden, dan berdampak pada persepsi masyarakat terhadap konservasi gajah menjadi negatif. Sebagian besar responden menginginkan gajah dipindahkan ke Suaka Margasatwa Padang Sugihan yang merupakan habitat gajah

Strategi Pemanfataan Lahan Gambut Berkelanjutan di Areal Ex PLG Kalimantan Tengah (The Utilization Strategis Of Sustainability Peatlands In Ex PLG Areas, Central Kalimantan)

Lahan gambut berperan besar dalam mitigasi gas rumah kaca, pengatur tata air, habitat beragam jenis satwa, dan secara ekonomi mampu menyediakan berbagai hasil hutan bukan kayu. Namun demikian, sebagian lahan gambut tersebut kini telah terdegradasi seperti lahan gambut di areal ex-PLG Kalimantan Tengah. Di sisi lain kebutuhan lahan pertanian untuk peningkatan ekonomi masyarakat mendorong pemanfaatan lahan gambut sebagai areal pertanian. Pemanfaatan lahan gambut tersebut menemui pro dan kontra akibat kegagalan pengelolaan sebelumnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengindentifkasi faktor internal dan eksternal untuk merumuskan strategi pemanfaatan lahan gambut ex-PLG di Kalimantan Tengah secara berkelanjutan. Pengumpulan data dilakukan menggunakan metode survey teknik wawancara dengan bantuan kuesioner. Metode analisis yang digunakan adalah analisis SWOT. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan perhitungan faktor internal (kekuatan dan kelemahan) dan eksternal (peluang dan ancaman) menghasilkan titik koordinat pada diagram cartesius terletak pada (0,42; -0,26). Titik koordinat tersebut berada pada kuadran II yaitu strategi yang menggunakan faktor kekuatan dan meminimalkan faktor ancaman. Rumusan strategi yang dapat dilakukan yaitu: (1) adopsi kearifan lokal dalam pengelolaan gambut, (2) pengaturan tata ruang dalam pemanfaatan lahan gambut untuk kebutuhan multisektoral, dan (3) pengendalian perburuan satwa dan konflik satwa

Can Humans and Elephants Coexist? A Review of the Conflict on Sumatra Island, Indonesia

The high rate of deforestation and fragmentation of elephant habitat on Sumatra Island has triggered human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sumatra Island, Indonesia. This conflict brings negative impacts on humans and elephants. Despite numerous efforts having been made to solve this problem, the HEC continues to occur in the remaining elephant enclave every year. The harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants could be improved through HEC mitigation programs. The aim of this paper was to review information on HEC in Sumatra Island, investigate the causes and implications of HEC, review existing HEC mitigation methods, and formulate strategies to improve the harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants. The best strategies to create successful human and elephant coexistence are strengthening the institutions and policies, restoring the habitat, developing wildlife corridors, establishing Essential Ecosystem Areas (EEA), community empowerment through ecotourism, providing legal access to forests through Social Forestry (SF), and providing compensation schemes for conflict victims

The Vegetation Composition and Carbon Stock of Old Shrub Typology to Support the Rehabilitation Program in Sumatra and Kalimantan Islands, Indonesia

The typology of certain old shrubs assists with the selection of suitable plant species for rehabilitation. The carbon stock dynamic in old shrubs is fundamental due to their high uptake during the growth process phase. A plot of 100 m × 100 m (1 hectare) was created in each location, referring to the work of Mueller-Dombois and Ellenberg. The plot was further divided into subsquares measuring 20 m × 20 m; in each plot, there were 25 subplots. Research results showed that the diversity index of old shrubs at the tree, pole, and seedling stage is 2.50–2.66, 1.23–1.50, and 0.67–1.11, respectively. For Kalimantan, the diversity index is lower than that on Sumatra Island, which is 1.64–1.80, 1.00–1.02, and 0.52–0.81, respectively. The carbon stock of the old shrub forest in Sumatra has an average of 36.61 Mg C per ha (standard deviation 14.54 Mg C per ha) to 72.50 Mg C per ha (standard deviation 25.61 Mg C per ha), while Kalimantan has an average of 47.94 Mg C per ha (standard deviation 13.30 Mg C per ha) to 144.07 Mg C per ha (standard deviation 54.64 Mg C per ha). The dynamics of the vegetation composition and carbon stock in each old shrub’s typology are considered when choosing a suitable model, including high carbon stock content, to provide optimal results for rehabilitation activities

Examining the Socio-Economic and Natural Resource Risks of Food Estate Development on Peatlands: A Strategy for Economic Recovery and Natural Resource Sustainability

Given the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food and agriculture sectors, rapid measures are needed to reduce the risk of food crises, especially among the poor and the most vulnerable communities. The government of Indonesia planned to establish the Food Estate National Program to ensure food security. Most of the area will be on peatlands, and as such, the program still faces pros and cons as it might open up opportunities for deforestation, threats to biodiversity, and loss of community livelihoods. We conducted the present research in Central Kalimantan to formulate a food estate (FE) development strategy by taking into account the potential benefits and risks to ensure increases in the local community’s welfare and the sustainability of biodiversity. Data were collected through field surveys, interviews, focus group discussion (FGD), and literature studies. The results show that the operation of a food estate on degraded peatlands has a moderate to high level of risk of negative impacts. Community activities and changes in farming methods through using more inputs and mechanical equipment are the most risky activities in FE development. The low substitutability of peatlands requires mitigation efforts as part of risk management. The operation of food systems on peatlands must be based on a strong sustainability perspective with a main principle of complementary resources. The main strategy is to protect natural resources and replace cultivated exotic plants with potential native peat plants with minimal risk. In addition, the policy and capacity building of farmers towards a business-oriented direction will maximize socioeconomic benefits. Utilization of biodiversity and low-impact cultivation techniques can ensure sustainability

Integrating Social Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation in Indonesia

Social forestry (SF) has long been implemented in production and protected forests in Indonesia. SF is considered to be a win–win solution for occupied and cultivated forest areas. The aim of this paper was to review the implementation of social forestry in Indonesia and its strengths and challenges. The secondary purpose was to synthesize the lessons learned and recommendations for the government about designing SF that can integrate the objective of forest biodiversity conservation and the social welfare of the surrounding communities. The study used a systematic literature review (SLR) of international and national peer-reviewed articles. The results of the study indicate that SF is intended to achieve benefits in three main areas: social, economic, and ecological. However, the review found that the ecological aspects of biodiversity conservation often receive less attention compared to the social and economic goals. A strong point of SF implementation is increasing community access to forest land use, while a challenge that must be resolved is that including communities in forest management can result in fragmentation and changes to animal habitats; thus, there is the potential for population decline and extinction. This study advises policymakers to pay more attention to ecological functions to ensure forest sustainability in SF development

A Chronicle of Indonesia’s Forest Management: A Long Step towards Environmental Sustainability and Community Welfare

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, with 17,000 islands of varying sizes and elevations, from lowlands to very high mountains, stretching more than 5000 km eastward from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua. Although occupying only 1.3% of the world’s land area, Indonesia possesses the third-largest rainforest and the second-highest level of biodiversity, with very high species diversity and endemism. However, during the last two decades, Indonesia has been known as a country with a high level of deforestation, a producer of smoke from burning forests and land, and a producer of carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to review the environmental history and the long process of Indonesian forest management towards achieving environmental sustainability and community welfare. To do this, we analyze the milestones of Indonesian forest management history, present and future challenges, and provide strategic recommendations toward a viable Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) system. Our review showed that the history of forestry management in Indonesia has evolved through a long process, especially related to contestation over the control of natural resources and supporting policies and regulations. During the process, many efforts have been applied to reduce the deforestation rate, such as a moratorium on permitting primary natural forest and peat land, land rehabilitation and soil conservation, environmental protection, and other significant regulations. Therefore, these efforts should be maintained and improved continuously in the future due to their significant positive impacts on a variety of forest areas toward the achievement of viable SFM. Finally, we conclude that the Indonesian government has struggled to formulate sustainable forest management policies that balance economic, ecological, and social needs, among others, through developing and implementing social forestry instruments, developing and implementing human resource capacity, increasing community literacy, strengthening forest governance by eliminating ambiguity and overlapping regulations, simplification of bureaucracy, revitalization of traditional wisdom, and fair law enforcement