Efforts to manage Education and Training Forests within Special Purpose Forest Areas (KHDTK) are aiming to support the implementation of practically oriented training activities. In addition, Education and Training Forests are also expected to be able to support the economic empowerment of surrounding communities. In order to provide a clearer direction for this kind of community empowerment, the Makassar Environment and Forestry Education and Training Center (BD LHK Makassar) has drawn up a Community Empowerment Plan for the communities living around the Tabo-tabo Education and Training Forest KHDTK for the 2022-2024 period. A Draft Community Empowerment Plan had already been prepared previously, however, a consultation still needed to be held with the general public so that the plan would be able to properly accommodate the aspirations of local stakeholders living in the area.

Therefore, in an effort to improve this vital document, BD LHK Makassar held a Public Consultation on the Draft Community Empowerment Plan at the BD LHK Makassar Campus in the KHDTK Tabo-tabo Training Forest, South Sulawesi on 11 November 2022. The public consultation was opened by the Head of Training Facilities and Evaluation Section, BD LHK Makassar, Mr. Endang Siswanto. The Community Empowerment Plan for communities around the Tabo-tabo KHDTK for the 2022-2024 period presented at this meeting addressed the development of institutional management, area management and business management within the Tabo-tabo Education and Training Forest KHDTK area.

"The meeting activities have been very useful in terms of aligning plans from the BDLHK Makassar with development plans for Tabo-tabo Village," Mr. Hairil Anwar, the Head of Tabo-tabo Village stated after the meeting had been brought to conclusion.

The planned follow-up to this activity is the revision of the Draft Community Empowerment Plan document based on input compiled during the public consultation. The document will then be signed by the Head of the Makassar Environment and Forestry Education and Training Center and will subsequently be made available for stakeholders to read.

For more information, please contact:
Edy Marbyanto, Strategic Area Manager for Human Capacity Development