INTERNASIONAL SEMINAR RESUME OF

THE ROLE OF LOCAL PEOPLE TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE FOREST

MANAGEMENT IN PROTECTED AREA BY PROFESSOR KAZUHIRO HARADA

2020
 This seminar was discussed how the community's role in forest management in Potected
Area (PA) in realizing Sustainable Forest Management. How are communities involved in
forest management? That is by using media in the form of Community Forest (CF).
Community Forest is a forest area owned by the state, but the community also plays a role
and is involved in the management of the forest.

If you look at the history of forestry regulations in Indonesia, it can be seen that in the
range of 1990 to 2000 people's right to obtain utilization permits is still weak. After 2000, the
rights to land use by the community were strengthened.

Protected Area is a forest area designed to have the function of protecting the ecosystem
within it. Example Protected Area is National Park, now in Indonesia there are 54 National
Parks. Protected Areas are good in nature conservation programs, but can also have a
negative impact. People should not live and take forest products at such locations. So as a
solution, a Buffer Zone (BZ) was created. In this zone, people can live and collect forest
products without forgetting their function as a conservation location.

National Park has many benefits that can be obtained in maintaining forest ecosystems.
As is often the case, where there is a program involving the community then the program has
the potential to cause conflict in its implementation. Professor Harada said the cause of the
conflict in the National Park was triggered by the presence of people living in the locations
before the government create the National Park.

In this seminar discussed various examples of conflicts that occurred in 3 different

countries. Indonesia, Bhutan, and Nepal. Conflicts are also caused by humans and some are
caused by animals.

In Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Indonesia. There are regional conflicts by the
community. People who living near the forest pick up coffee in the National Park area. The
coffee fruit will then be processed into coffee beans that are ready to be sold, even exported.

And in Chitwan National Park, Nepal people are allowed to take forest products in the
Buffer Zone, but there are still regulations in place. Some of the collections are arranged by
hours per day even for firewood there are allowed to be took only once per 4 months.
 While in Jigmi Dorji National Park, Bhutan regulations are looser. People can live and
access into National Park and protected areas to collect forest products. This is done by
creating a forest mangement group with a minimum of 5 members and creating a forest plan
supported by forest rangers. If the plan is agreed by the government, then the community can
obtain a license to manage the community forest for 10 years. That can be extended based on
the results of recognition of discussions by the community and the government.

The conclution of this seminar is the trend of community involvement in protected areas
in forest management is increasing. But it is still determined by their characteristics and there
is no general theory.