The Effects of Indonesia's Decentralisation on Forest and Estate Crops in Riau Province


Book Description

"Since early-2000, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has conducted research on the decentralisation of forest administration and policies affecting forests in Indonesia. This project has sought to document the real and anticipated impacts of decentralisation on forest management, forest community livelihoods, and economic development at the provincial and district levels. During the initial phase of this research, CIFOR conducted case studies in nine kabupaten or districts, in four provinces: Riau, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. These case studies were carried out in 2000, with follow up visits to some districts conducted in early 2001. As such, the findings presented in the present report and the companion case studies reflect the conditions and processes that existed in the study districts during the initial phase of Indonesia's decentralisation process"--P. iii.




The Effects of Decentralization on Forests and Forest Industries in Berau District, East Kalimantan


Book Description

Berau district has been one of East Kalimantan's largest sources of timber since the mid-1980s. Until the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998, most of the district's formal timber production was conducted by large-scale HPH concession holders, and the vast majority of the fiscal revenues generated flowed to the national government. Over the last several years, considerable volumes of logs have also been harvested illegally both by timber concessionaires and by small-scale manual loggers. Following the onset of Indonesia's regional autonomy and decentralization processes in late 1998, district officials moved aggressively to establish greater administrative control over the forest resources within their jurisdiction. They did so by allocating large numbers of small-scale forest conversion licenses, known as IPPK permits. Many of these were assigned to 'foundations' established by local entrepreneurs to coordinate the creation of logging ventures with village cooperatives and other community groups in parts of Berau with valuable stands of timber. When the central government pressured district governments to stop issuing IPPK permits within the officially designated 'Forest Estates' in late 2000, Berau officials shifted tactics and began allocating a new type of logging permit, known as IPKTM, in forested areas where individuals or community groups held titles of ownership or other types of land certificates. District officials have also pressured PT Inhutani I, the state forestry enterprise owned by the central government, and other HPH concession holders to enter into equity partnerships with the district government. This has given the district government a direct stake in protecting the operations ...




The Impacts of Decentralisation on Forests and Forest-dependent Communities in Malinau District, East Kalimantan


Book Description

"The present study examines the preliminary effects of decentralisation on forests and estate crops in Malinau district, East Kalimantan. It is one of nine district level case studies carried out during 2000 and early 2001 by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in four provinces: Riau, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The findings presented in these studies reflect the conditions and processes that existed in the study districts suring the initial phase of Indonesia's decentralisation process"--P. vii.




Decentralisation of Policies Affecting Forests and Estate Crops in Kotawaringin Timur District, Central Kalimantan


Book Description

"The present study examines the preliminary effects of decentralisation of forest administration in Kotawaringin Timur District, Central Kalimantan. It is one of nine district level case studies carried out during 2000 and early-2001 by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in four provinces: Riau, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The findings presented in these studies reflect the conditions and processes that existed in the study districts during the initial phase of Indonesia's decentralisation process"--P. viii.




The Dynamics of Decentralization in the Forestry Sector in South Sulawesi


Book Description

Having broken away from Luwu District in 2001, the Luwu Utara District Government has faced many problems in its three years of implementing decentralization. The obstacles to implementing decentralization were due mainly to the inconsistency of national laws and regulations, unclear division of responsibility and authority between district, provincial and central governments, an unfair balancing mechanism for reforestation funds between producing and non-producing districts, increased claims of tenure by local communities, low levels of public participation in decision-making processes and a lack of spatial planning at the district level. This study found that at the beginning of decentralization the district government was not very well prepared and lacked adequate human resources and facilities for taking over the management of its forests. As time progressed, the Luwu Utara District Government, especially the Forestry and Estate Crops Offi ce, strove continuously to improve its forest management capacity. However, due to a lack of resources and uncertain division of authority, many aspects of forest management are still not handled properly. By using an inclusive decision-making process for the research process, this study helped the district government and local communities to look at underlying causes of problems in implementing forestry sector decentralization in their areas and to find alternative solutions to these problems. As a result, the district Forestry Offi ce has undertaken many activities in direct response to the outcomes of this research project, such as a social forestry programme for local forest-dependent communities and the adoption of more inclusive processes for ...




Decentralisation and Forest Management in Kapuas District, Central Kalimantan


Book Description

This case study discusses decentralisation and forest management in Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan, focusing specifically on the impact of these administrative reforms on timber concessions operating there. It is based on field research carried out during June and July 2000. The study is based on interviews with government officials, forestry department staff, university researchers, NGO workers and the employees of timber workers in the provincial capital, Palangkaraya, and the district capital, Kuala Kapuas. Research was also carried out in Gunung Mas in the headwaters of the Kahayan River and further interviews were conducted with businessmen, sub-district government officials and lower level forestry staff, community leaders and local villagers. This document provides: (1) Essential background regarding the geography, economy and history of forestry in Kapuas district. (2) A discussion focuses on decentralisation and forest management, analysing the financial situation of the district administration, the efforts of the district government to create district laws to regulate the forestry sector in the district, and the initial impacts of decentralisation on spatial planning and environmental management. (3) Analyses the situation of timber concessionaires in Gunung Mas just before the decentralisation laws took effect, focusing on the changing relationships among timber companies, the local administration and local communities. The case study examines the endemic conflicts occurring between local communities and logging concessionaires in the area. Finally, it draws some conclusions regarding the impact of decentralisation on forest management in the district.




The Impact of Special Autonomy on Papua's Forestry Sector


Book Description

The report focuses on the impacts of Special Autonomy in Papua on the forestry sector. It studies the advantages and problems associated with the current forestry management system. The most signifi cant change following special autonomy for Papua was the introduction of small-scale concession permits granted to community cooperatives, locally known as Kopermas. As a result, CIFOR and the State University of Papua's research focused on these Kopermas, analyzing data on timber production and revenues from concessions, and determining the flow of benefits to customary communities' incomes and to regional revenues. The objective was to determine how effectively the Kopermas system has empowered local communities. Using a combination of conventional and participatory/action research methods, the research team evaluated the livelihoods and environmental value of forest resources for local people. We also facilitated stakeholder input into our research findings and analysis. The team also worked with local communities to determine their current capacity for forest management; which mechanisms were used to distribute the benefi ts from the new system; and how people were involved in decision-making about permit applications and concession management. This research found some direct involvement of local people in forest management and short-term benefits for local communities. However, we also found that the benefi ts from timber revenues have not been fairly shared among local people and other actors involved in the timber business. As a result, community forestry cooperatives have yet to contribute to equitable and sustainable development for local people. To improve this situation, local stakeholders identified an urgent need to to empower customary organizations and individuals by equipping them to manage their own natural resources independently. This will reduce the likelihood that communities are exploited by more powerful stakeholders in the future. Alongside low capacity, facilities and skills for commercial forest management .,




Decentralisation, local communities and forest management in Barito Selatan district, Central Kalimantan


Book Description

Based on field research carried out in Central Kalimantan during June and July 2000, this chapter examines the likely impact of the decentralisation reforms on forest management in Barito Selatan. Conclusions are derived from three major sources. First, interviews were conducted with key government officials and community figures in the provincial capital, Palangkaraya, and the district capital, Buntok. These were supplemented with information from relevant newspaper and government reports. Thirdly, brief visits were made to a number of communities around the district to examine the implications of these reforms for forest dependent communities and to consider the degree to which local communities are likely to benefit from the new decentralised arrangements. The first section of this chapter provides an overview of the geographic and economic context, at the same time discussing the forestry sector in the district. The second section examines specific disputes, controversies and decisions regarding land use, forestry regulations, law enforcement, and revenue collection, considering the roles and motivations of different stakeholders during the decentralisation process and the consequent implications for forests and people. The third section considers the situation of forest dependent communities in the district in the midst of the decentralisation process. It examines the fate of village communities dependent on rattan gardens, the circumstances of an isolated and impoverished community living in the middle of a logging concession area, and a hamlet where eleven unlicensed sawmills had opened operations over the previous twelve months. Based on this discussion, the final section draws some conclusions regarding the real and anticipated effects of decentralisation on forest management in the district.




Lessons from Forest Decentralization


Book Description

The decentralization of control over the vast forests of the world is moving at a rapid pace, with both positive and negative ramifications for people and forests themselves. The fresh research from a host of Asia-Pacific countries described in this book presents rich and varied experience with decentralization and provides important lessons for other regions. Beginning with historical and geographical overview chapters, the book proceeds to more in-depth coverage of the region's countries. Research findings stress rights, roles and responsibilities on the one hand, and organization, capacity-building, infrastructure and legal aspects on the other. With these overarching themes in mind, the authors take on many controversial topics and address practical challenges related to financing and reinvestment in sustainable forest management under decentralized governance. Particular efforts have been made to examine decentralization scales from the local to the national, and to address gender issues. The result is a unique examination of decentralization issues in forestry with clear lessons for policy, social equity, forest management, research, development and conservation in forested areas across the globe from the tropics to temperate regions. Published with CIFOR




The Complexities of Managing Forest Resources in Post-decentralization Indonesia


Book Description

The study attempted to understand the dynamics and complexities of forest resources management following decentralization, the interactions among stakeholders in forest resources management, and the impacts of the new legislation on local community livelihoods in Sintang District, West Kalimantan. Forestry policies implemented in the district before and after the introduction of legislation granting regional autonomy and the emergence of small-scale timber concessions are described. Qualitative research methodologies, i.e. semi-structured interviews, field observations and workshops, were used. The results show that the decentralization of forest management had not proceeded smoothly because of the lack of regulations governing implementation, and that the decentralized forest policies had had both positive and negative impacts. Focusing on 100-ha forest product harvest concessions (HPHH), the study examined opportunities for local communities and other stakeholders to participate in the management of forest resources, the contributions of the small-scale forest concessions to district development and local community livelihoods, and social conflicts arising from a complex combination of factors.