The Social Forestry Programme

Decree of the Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia Number 9 of 2021 on Social Forestry Management is the basis for the implementation of the Social Forestry programme, which is aiming to provide access to the community in terms of forest management while also improving their economic conditions. Under this regulation, Social Forestry is defined as a sustainable forest management system that is implemented in areas of state forest or private forests/customary forests by local communities or Customary Law Communities working as primary actors in an effort to improve their welfare, environmental balance and socio-cultural dynamics through Village Forests, Forest Communities, Community Plantation Forests, Customary Forests and forestry partnerships.

The realization of the Social Forestry Program had reached approximately 5,318,627,20.97 Ha as of December 2022, with a total of 8,041 decrees (SK) being issued for forest area management rights for 1,188,498 family heads (KK). This data was presented at the recent 2030 Indonesian FOLU Net Sink Socialization event by the Director of Forest Utilization Plan Development for the Directorate-General of Sustainable Forest Management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Dr. Ir. Drasospolino, M.Sc. The event was held in Papua Jayapura Province on 8 February 2023.

Image: The results of the Verification of Proposed Customary Forests in Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua
and in Jayapura Regency, Papua are presented on 18 October 2022 in Bogor
Photo: FORCLIME

Customary Forest

The book Social Forestry Survey and Index, Path to People's Welfare and Forest Conservation, which is published by the Katadata Insight Center, states that the current area of Customary Forest stands at 64% of the 7.4 million hectares of total customary territory. Customary Forest comprises a forest management scheme that is implemented by indigenous peoples in customary areas based on customary/local wisdom and values. Customary Forests can be handed over to Customary Peoples (MHA) whose existence is recognized by the state and then determined through a Certificate of Designation of Customary Forest Areas. As of October 2022, a total of 148,488 Ha of Customary Forest had been assigned to 105 customary communities, while the total area of indicative customary forest amounted to 1,090,754 Ha, as stated in Press Release of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) Number: SP. 296/HUMAS/PPIP/HMS.3/11/2022.

Customary Forest in Tanah Papua

In terms of the development of customary forests within Papua, seven proposals for Customary Forests made by Customary Peoples in Jayapura Regency, Papua and one proposal in Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua were verified in October 2022 by the Integrated Team at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. This team comprised representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, experts from IPB University, the Maluku-Papua Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership Agency, academics from Cenderawasih University, the Papua Provincial Forestry Service, the Jayapura Regency Environmental Service and representatives of the Customary Territory Registration Agency (BRWA).

At the Indigenous Peoples Congress in Jayapura, Papua on 24 October 2022, the Director-General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships at the KLHK symbolically handed over a number of customary forest decrees (SK) to community representatives at the Barnabas Youwe Stadium, Sentani, Jayapura Regency, Papua. During this event, seven Customary Forest Decrees were handed over for six Customary Forests in Jayapura Regency, namely: Marga Syuglue Woi Yansu – 15,602.96 hectares, Marga Yano Akrua – 2,177.18 hectares, Marga Yano Meyu – 411.15 hectares, Marga Yosu Desoyo – 3,392.97 hectares, Yano Wai clan – 2,593.74 hectares and Marga Takwobleng – 404.9 hectares. The other decree was for Marga Ogoney in Merdey District, Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua, which covers an area of 16,299 hectares. Through the establishment of these first seven Customary Forests in the Land of Papua, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry had already determined a total of 105 Customary Forests throughout Indonesia as of December 2022.

FORCLIME support

FORCLIME is a bilateral cooperation programme between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany that supports forestry development programmes that are being implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, including Social Forestry. Customary Forest is one of the Social Forestry schemes that is not only beneficial for the welfare of the Customary Law Community but also for preserving the local values and wisdom of the Customary Law Community.

FORCLIME supported the Directorate-General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships during the preparation and verification processes for customary forest proposals in Papua and West Papua between September and October 2022. The support that was offered took the form of the provision of experts and the implementation of technical verifications in locations that had been proposed as future customary forests in Tanah Papua.

In order to follow up on the results of this verification, the Directorate-General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships (PSKL), supported by FORCLIME, held an Expo of Verification Results for Proposed Customary Forests in Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua and Jayapura Regency, Papua on 18 October 2022 in Bogor, which was attended by relevant stakeholders. During this event, several important benefits of Customary Forests within the Land of Papua were addressed, including use as areas for the planting of sago, which is a staple source of food; utilization of resin wood sap for building houses; as hunting grounds for deer and pigs; as areas for the cultivation of red fruit, taro, bananas, kasbi, pineapples and vegetables; and as a habitat for white cuscus, white rats and birds of paradise. Based on the results of a technical verification in the field, the team submitted recommendations relating to the establishment of customary forest areas for the seven Customary Forest Communities to the Director-General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships.

In addition, FORCLIME also supported the drafting of the Draft Presidential Regulation on the Acceleration of Social Forestry in Indonesia during 2022. This Draft Presidential Regulation is currently in the process of further harmonization with other technical ministries, as well as with the Ministry of State Secretariat. However, the next stage of this process is administrative in nature and thus cannot be supported by FORCLIME.

The way forward

FORCLIME, despite its limitations as a project, will continue to support activities that relate to the Social Forestry programme, particularly within its working areas, specifically the Provinces of Central Sulawesi, Papua and Southwest Papua. Moving forward at the national level, FORCLIME will also continue to support the Directorate-General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships through dialogue relating to social forestry.

For further information please contact:
R. Rizka Dewi Zuleika, Junior Adviser for Sustainable Forest Management
Mohamad Rayan, Adviser for Crosscutting Issues and Conflict Management
Wandojo Siswanto, Manager of Strategic Area Forestry Policy

Created: 24 February 2023