No Conservation Without Recognition the Rights and Role of IPs in Tambrauw

Tambrauw Beach and Mountation Forests. Photo: Yunus

IPs and Conservation

In March 2016, Strong voices came up in Out meeting from Mr. Ignasius Baru, the leader of Miyah tribe in the meeting of Two district regulation draft about customary right recognition and conservation district development. He said "community not understanding what conservation is. If what the government meant with conservation is just to say no for community to access on their resources in their customary territories, then I would say we the IPs of Tambrauw especially in Miyah tribe refuse the design of Tambrauw as conservation district". Adding to that, Victor Sundoy who is actually works in conservation management body but originally part of Abun tribes community emphasized that "Conservation need to be clearly packages because in facts we have to criminalize community once they want to touch the forests resources such as timber because conservation has say no to open the forests or extracting the resource from it. The fact the Tambrauw is 80% protected and conservation forests are not realistic if we looks from the perspective of how strong is customary community relation with the land and their high dependency on it". Despite of this complain and objection to the conservation most of the community leader who joined the discussion shown their agreement on protecting the potential resources, secret places and preserving exotic animal and ecosystem that they sees as the strength in Tambrauw that cannot found in other places.

So what are the gaps here? If the community are acknowledged the important of protecting some exotic species, landscape and ecosystem and the secret places in their are why they refused conservation that actually having the same meaning? Back to the definition, value and benefit of conservation forests may could leads us to answer the question and curiosity of the community in Tambrauw objection to conservation. As I understand from law no 5 of 1994 about Biodiversity Conservation, conservation is about wises and balance uses of forests to increase people livelihoods and sustainability ecologic function of the forests. It mentioned conservation should is implementing in (1) protecting the exotics landscape, species, ecosystem and function, (2) enriching biodiversity and (3) sustainable uses. Michael Lackwook, the Editor in Big Big of Managing Protected areas (2006) re-emphasized this that conservation or protected areas management are about clearly translating the values and benefits of them to the ecosystem and community. He notes that setting clear objection of management protected areas could reduces competition and claim of benefits to it. Most of the conservationist and socialist are debating about the people presence and existence inside conservation areas which actually the cores issues Tambrauw is facing. Half ways of implementing conservation and lack of management scenarios to maintain values and benefits of conservation seems likes the roots of the problems and has creates miss understanding and miss perception about conservation in the community. Conservation actions and applying freeze regulations with only species and ecosystem oriented while in some part under-counting the balance of social development in related to conservation development that happening in long times has raised the critical objection by the community based on their half conservation understanding.

Exploring more: Budi Riyanto (2005) on his book "Pemberdayaa Masyarakat Sekitar Hutan dalam Perlindungan Kawasan Pelestarian Alam" has scientifically describing the connection of commmunity with nature and forests, he noted that meeting conservation objective is also about facilitating community to take parts in conservation based of the applied law. The new ICCA Groups actuallly has helped us to understand of how strong is Indigenous community with conservation and how their conservation approaches has living for generation and has successfully protects the forests. Recent 2015 study conducted by CIFOR that published in Ecology and Social Journal "http://www.cifor.org/publications/pdf_files/articles/ABoissiere1501.pdf" re-affirming long argumentation that 'no conservation without recognition the right and roles of IPs' and I think this is how conservationist in Tambrauw should learn through. Manuel Boissiere,et all in this CIFOR publication noted that "Natural resource management by local communities can be more effective and cost-efficient for large-scale conservation than government-sanctioned protected areas". The research with title: Unseen sentinel: Local Monitoring and Controlling in Conservation Blind Spots describing how community in up-stream of Mamberamo river has applying best but un-recognized approaches in control and monitor the uses for forests resources. Same as community in Tambrauw the community here in Mamberamo as described by CIFOR also acknowledging conservation and forest zoning that living for centuries.

Conservation District Regulation

Addressing the conservation, social and development issues that government is willing to see is about how balance can be realized, a regulation of conservation is designed. At the same time the government also draft the regulation about customary right recognition. The main of objective of this two regulation are to secure the right of IPs, with their access to managing conservation areas but also providing a legal frame of how official development plan can be implemented within clear arrangement of benefit to the land owners. Facts that de facto claim of right and forests resources and acknoledging sometime the development not applied according the community land uses zoning and management vision has pushing government and parliament to addressing the conservation policy that related to securing right and participation of IPs in the development.

Sepus Fatem, the Natural Resources Management adviser of Tambrauw District on his presentation keeps emphasized that the design of conservation in Tambrauw is not about conserve the way how forests function has been regulated by the ministry of forestry. But this about integrating national forests conservation targets with the community and government access to development. The core of conservation policy in tambrauw is to recognition traditional zoning living in community to be counted as conservation areas or else the regulation is trying to open the banned of access of community to the limited uses based on their needs and then control and monitor the amount to arrange enrichment and big protection targets on species and ecosystem that Tambrauw has. In this cases community with their right and traditional land/forests zoning are the main beneficiaries that government is paying attention on.  

Community Land Right and Traditional Values to Biodiversity Conservation in Tambrauw 

Community argumentation to refusing conservation should be respected since their are stepping from lack of understanding to conservation terminology that basically not coming from their own language and was accumulative of trauma in experiencing how conservation been implementing by conservation NGO/CSO and government units. "No conservation without right recognition and participation of IPs in Tambrauw" should become a basis on the design of regulation, approaches and management plan to managing conservation, official development and social empowering in Tambrauw district.

In 2015, the indicative mapping research conducted by Tambrauw Development partners consortium (WWF, Samdhana, Paradisea and AKA WUON) has recorded basic information and data about customary rights, land uses zoning and conservation approaches living with IPs in Tambrauw. The reports that presenting indicative tribe maps of Miyah and Abun tribes also describing local names and structure of decission making process of areas/forests and natural resources management within Tambrauw IPs. A year before that in 2014, WWF in collaboration with local facilitator from Abun tribe has also mapped and recorded the important places community in Abun is acknowledge. Their distributions that spreads from sea and beaches to the mountain with local names. For example, community in both Abun and Miyah has dividing forests based on the function, the reports noted: wiam ase (local words for virgin forests), Sre (similar to peatland but are widely spread up to the hill), Ruf (low land forests), Ora (active farming/crop land) and Etiam (degraded areas after farming). Beside forest the community also action zoning for hunting, the words Ramen, Rmoy and Fim are describing areas for hunting and places for animals to drink.

Regulation the government is providing together with capacity building and on-sites facilitation for the community to integrating their conservation and land uses management approaches with government land uses and forests management design seems like a basic task to do to meet what they are expecting on conservation development based on customary community land right and participation.

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Integrating Land Rights in Conservation: An Opportunity or Challenge for Indonesia?

In Hawaii US, September 3rd Yunus Yumte representing Samdhana Institute and consortium of Indigenous Community Conservation Areas (ICCA) Indonesia speaking in the forum of IPs Rights and Conservation sponsored by the IUCN Commisison on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP). Given and updates of currents opportunities and challenges that Indonesia have in addressing the integration management of conservation areas that bring right of IPs as the foundation. Putting the overall contexts Yunus highlight some keys issues, progress and ways forward that Indonesia and all co-partners should do to realize this. 

Indonesia is the island country in tropics that have high potency of natural resources includes biodiversity. For conservation purposes the government has legally pointed 526 conservation areas that extent in almost 26 million all over archipelago with the largest are in Papua with Lorenz National Park that cover 2,2 million ha and extend from alpine zone into coastal in the island of Papua. Within it the strong values and claim of right by IPs or local community has living for centuries in this conservation are. As Indigenous People Alliance of Archipelago (AMAN) indicated that about 2/3 of classified forests areas are overlap with customary right of IPs. They has also calculated that in total there are about 84 million ha are claim as the customary ownership by the community. All these facts and date were presented by Yunus in this IUCN WCC 2016 session. 

Major challenges that conservation development in Indonesia face are to brings in local IPs rights, local wisdom and their values to be counted and integrated as the pole in sites implementation. Question raised by Yunus "do we want to have the freeze conservation approaches based on government regulation to be implemented or make it more locally adapted and socially integrated with the ways community has acknowledging conservation approaches?". Because talking about conservation in official context are more often be refused by the community in forests areas. Some of them the past experience are simply expressing 3 problems: (1) limitation of community access to the forests resources they are depending on, (2) long process administrative arrangement when they request for any public facilitties inside forests areas and (3) in few cases, decriminalization are always shadowing them for access to limited amount specific legally forbidden forests products. Addition to that Yunus shared the examples of how land use and locally classified forests function that living in Indonesis IPs specifically commmunity in Balliem Valley of Papua (see picture bellow). Recently the ICCA Indonesia recorded 14 initiative of conservation management approaches by Indonesia People includes Territorial Management in Menua Sungai Utik, West Borneo of Dayak Iban (local tribes in West Kalimantan). The Dayak Iban community has maps and delineate their territories together with its detail land uses plan and function recognized by the community.

Make about challenges question are positively answer there are several opportunities emerging in Indonesia both at policy level and action on the ground. As presented the emerging and positive momentum in Indonesia as follow: 

• Constitutional Court Decision No 35 and 45 of 2012 About Adat/Customary Forests. Which clearly emphasized that customary forests are not the state forests and should be managed follow local wisdom and norms that living with the community. 
• Environmental Law no 32 of 2009 on Strategic Environmental Assessment. Emphasizing the important of holistic social and cultural studies that potentially impacted by the implementation of any specific regulation, program and policy - include forest function designation. The law also secure the role of community and their access to the resources within their rights. 
• Ministry of Forestry and Environment Regulation No 76 2015 on Zonation Criteria in Conservation Areas. This new established regulation has enable community to integrates the local wisdom and local zoning into the the current stated zones by having tradition zone that collaboratively assessed and delineated. This also provides an option co-management of conservation areas. 
• Ministry of Land and Spatial Plan Regulation No 10 of 2016 on Communal Rights. And Ministry of Internal Affair Regulation No 52 of 2014 on Procedures for verification of Customary Rights. 
• Forests Management Unit (KPH) for Conservation Areas and its management authority. Undestanding the difference of local specific forests problem, the government is developing the decentralize forest management that bringing authority of forests management at district and sites level. Establishment of KPH is seeing could bridge the gaps in currents missing action on the ground by have the forests management institution on the ground.

Reflects to the challenges and emerging opportunities, Yunus aware that there are big home works that needs to be done in clearly translating the legal windows above and packaging it on the applicable contexts. Despite is positive impacts, constitutional court ruling no 35/2012 together with others regulation are not yet working well on the ground. To keep these progressive there are several way forward that ICCAs Indonesia is recommended: 

• Clean and clear land tenure arrangements for local and indigenous/adat peoples in managing the conservation areas. Expanding and applying proper customary boundary mapping, social study and legal designation referring to the existing regulation are the actions that community in collaboration with other keys actor should do. 
• Integrate official conservation goals with the customary community development strategies using indigenous knowledge. 
• Engage local institutions in management of the diverse community based conservation goals. FMU, social forestry scheme and other locally forests management format that provided by Indonesia government are the potential space to take the forward action. 
• Regulate rights and responsibilities of the actors (local communities, local government and central government ministries) in managing natural resources towards conservation goals. Having a co-management protocols and join implementation program that integrated each ointegrather are crucial to reduce the conflict of access and claim right.
• Bringing more young people involve in locally conservation management activities. Understanding the problem of sustainability of value and conservation codes, bringing more young people to learn, deeply valuing and absorb the conservation mainstream are crucial to maintain the sustainability of integrated conservation management agenda. 

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Preparing Sira - Manggroholo Village Forests Facilitator

Training Participant, Bentara Papua, Province Department and Community from Sira-Manggroholo. Photo: Bentara Papua

In Manokwari, 18 - 20 August 2016 Bentara Papua (local NGO based in Manokwari) in collaboration with Samdhana Institute and supported by Good Energies Foundation facilitated intensive training to understand A - Z of village forests policy and facilitation requirement. The overall objective of this 3 days training was to build a complete understanding and knowledge about village forests scheme and sets up collaborative ways forward of field activities in Sira and Manggroholo - South Sorong. Eko Dharmawan the village forests facilitator whose been working in this policy and facilitation since 2010 with Flora and Fauna International (FFI) taking a lead of all the process and discussion in Bentara Office. Join in this training the representation from Sira and Manggroholo - the two villages in West Papua that continuously working with Bentara Papua, Green Peace and Samdhana Institute on village forests facilitation. They includes: the head of two villages, the field facilitator Mr Arkilaus Kladit, chief of village forests management body (LPHD) of both villages.  

Both Sira and Manggroholo have got the legal designation areas through Ministry of Forestry Regulation (SK Menhut) in 18 September 2014 that cover total areas of 3,545 ha. Recently they are waiting for the governor Decree about forests management licenses that submitted in May 2016 to secure the legally of Long Term Village Forests Management and its implementation.  Mr. Herman Remetwa the head of Community Development units at Forestry Department of West Papua Province in his session mentioned that it licenses is now in the table of legal unit at Government office and expected to be released by September before the ministry of forestry decree ended. In addition he added that it is a time to build a productive collaboration to help community in Sira and Manggroholo as model for West Papua. Forestry Department at provinces level will puts on program and their budgets to co-partnering in supports this initiative so this bridge of activities are a positive momentum to connecting the program.

Eko was comprehensively shared the knowledge that written in the village regulation and experience he and FFI gots from Kalimantan. Some keys component he was presented were:

• Definition and principle values of villages forests and it relevant to Sira and Manggroholo contexts. He summarizing the detail norms with keys prerequisites that each facilitator should understand about village forests. 
• Long term management plan of village forests (RPHD) includes the ways how village management body (LPHD) how take a lead of the process in the ground. Making sure that the plans are properly developed based on specific potential products in the villages are the core. The plan should also clearly describe the business plans and detail land zoning arrangement. 
• Forests products uses, marketing and their legal contexts in village forests scheme 
• Social consolidation by the community - taking case from Kapuas Hulu that he facilitating. It is going well because community is doing this policy seriously and lead the process on the ground 
• Collaboration with keys government units. Specifically the roles of Ministry of Forests, Forestry Department at Province/District and Village development units at provinces and district. Eko is also shared the possibilities of access fund through village fund that since last year have been distributed. 

All the training was closed with a reflection by each participant. Yunus Yumte, the Samdhana Papua Program coordinator joined in the last day shared his knowledge and organization reflection they learned from the project in Kaimana that closed in 2014 that basically about commitment and active participation of all keys village forests actor. He also reminding the community that they are in the front line to determine whether this initiative would works progressively of not and advised both Bentara and Village forests management body to putting high attention of creating new facilitator from the villages. As addition Mr. Arkilaus kladit raised their expectation to see these two village could works well with active facilitation by Bentara Papua, Green Peace and Samdhana Institute. 

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Opini : Sago in Papua and Their Current Investment

Natural Sago Plots in Kais South Sorong, West Papua

In the new Year of 2016, Indonesia President Mr. Joko Widodo (JOKOWI) visited and officially opened the biggest modern Sago Factory in Indonesia belong to PT. Perhutani Persero. Eventhough there is no clear info who is the owners and legal manager of the concession now but since 2013 about 40,000 ha of Sago plots in Kais, Metamani and Kokoda of South Sorong District has been granted for big commercial sago industry. As confirmed by the the General Manager PT Perhutani in Kompas January 1/2016 that they targeting to manages 30,000 Ton of sago starch every year. The total 150billion rupiah investment is targeted to gets the annual revenue up to 100 billion rupiah from their overall annual production. Japan, chine and Taiwan become the targets of investment markets that PT Perhutani has putting.

But there are big question appearing here at the customary community those in de facto claim the sago plots as their land rights about the benefits and cost of impacts they would gets from the investment. Jokowi on his opening speech pointed out his wishes to the industry could bring social changes at the community level. Despite of their positive targets in bringing up economic growth and revenues to the state the high targets of exploitation of natural sago could creates ecological problems or event raw material scarcity. West Papua provinces actually has experienced with sago Industry in Arandai Teluk Bintuni about 12 year ago ran by PT Jayanti Group that exploited large number of sago trunk without proper replanting or sustainable plantation plan. The overcapacity of Industry and in consistent calculation of natural sago production make the quick scarcity from the initial planned. 

Papua is the mother of Sago and become the most richest sago plots in the world with total about 1,25 million ha as confirmed by Bakorsurtanal in 1996 and remain validated by Flach, Karafir et all  in 2006. Jayapura, Waropen, South Sorong, Bintuni Bay and Merauke are the major place with larges sago plots. Not only large in areas the sago in Papua is also richest in species or variety. 2006 International sago symposium in Jayapura on their report showing surprising number which are more that 30 sago specifies in Papua with Metroxylon Sagu and Metroxylon rumphii as the two famous species and their spread from the coast line to 700 m above sea level. When Yunus Yumte did his research in South Sorong 8 years ago he found that mature sago trees could reach the diameter of 64 cm and tall without leave up to 27 m within he calculated that total sago powder that community could produce from one mature sago tree up to 800kg. This mostly harvested and extracted in 2 weeks using traditional technique.

Ecologically sago plots/forests are part of the vulnerable ecosystem because it is the natural wall for sea water infiltration, abrasion because of gradual wave, and regulator of fresh water to the people. Sago is also home of big number of biodiversity includes birds, swamp snake and wild pigs. Socially sago is the symbol of culture for Papuan, natural building material and source of foods for people. Which means changing sago purposes into industry will enormously changes its social and ecological functions. So expanding sago plantation in Papua is about understanding the social and ecological vulnerability of changes.

Sago for local Foods, Traditional extraction by IPs in Kais, South Sorong - West Papua

From my perspective and understanding the natural sago behavior that have limited lifetime the concept and designing of sustainable sago plantation with social orientation may needs to be putted as the key principle on its investment protocol before expanding the licenses. The correlation of community livelihood, rights and claim to sago plots should also aknowledge important to meets what Jokowi has wished. At least several early steps should be build includes:

1. Clearly understanding the ecological behavior and function of sago plots in each targeted investment sites. Place like Kais, Kokoda and Metamani for me is high vulnerable with floods because of theirs geographic position and waters that stored in sago plots. The plots that also in unity with swamp forest includes nipah palm trees is a home of large number of biodiversity. 
2. Sago for sustainable local foods stock. Delineating and secure the community foods plots at the beginning is crucial to provide a guaranty for sustainable local foods. large scale sago plantation should able to maintain the values and cultures of social assets includes local food security for generation. Not captured all the plots for industry and transform people consumption patterns into other non sago foods
3. Sago for mitigate the impact of climate changes to secure carbon in big amount. Even though only few study available about the carbon stock in Sago but sago that growth wildly in the swamp forests secure big amount of carbon. Transforming sago to other land uses purposes would directly realize amount of carbon to the air.

As addition to the since Sago is one of Papua symbol so having a regulation that protects and monitor the uses of sago for industry and legally binding to apply sustainable management plantation approaches are crucial to maintain the social, ecological and cultural value of Sago to Papuan. Further understanding the rights of IPs and their dependency to sago production are crucial to appropriately develop a partnership management mechanism and agreeing on benefit sharing of the rights to land and sago plant.

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Inconsistent Weather in Manokwari

".....We would fly in about 35000 feet above sea level and will cross some clouds with little turbulence before we approaching Sorong...." the sound of Garuda Indonesia cabin crew announcement before we took off from Manokwari. Yes, the weather in Manokwari was slowly rainy and the sky are covers by the clouds today. But It was sunny and light days in the before. The weather is not consistent, my wife told me to again and again in the last 4 month, its difficult to say it is rainy or dry season as we had couples of years ago.I aware that the meteorology and geo-physic department have always shown their weather prediction on the TV broadcast and reminding people to always preparing their self with the changes.

The inconstancy of weather condition has been happening since the beginning of this years particularly the long rainy days. And its definitely the extreme changes after Indonesia faced long el-nino and drought last year. Actually in manokwari the inconsistent we meant here is the changes between rainy, sunny days, windy and cloudy and fluctuation of temperature that could easily affecting the human health. In the last a week at least two days are sunny light day while the rests are rainy and cloudy with high intensity of winds in the morning and afternoon.

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1,2 Million ha of 5 tribes Maps were Produced in West Papua Province – Indonesia

The new compilation of customary boundary in West Papua Province shows that about 1,2 million ha of customary areas belong to 5 tribes have been mapped. This was produced in the period of 2010 – 2015 facilitated by CSO/NGO, customary community groups in West Papua Province and The Samdhana Institute. As shown in the map below, 4 of 5 tribes are in bird heads consist of Moi Kelim, Miyah, Abun and Knasaimos while Madewana is in south east Bomberai Peninsula. Overall these 5 tribe areas cover 12% of total administrative boundary of the province which about 9.7 million ha according to Spatial Plan. Provincial document of strategic environmental assessment noted that there are 67 indigenous tribes in the province that have strong customary right over the land and resources on it. Which means there are a lot of works remain to do. Recently some other advance mapping were conducted in other region applying indicative approaches such as South Manokwari, Fak-Fak and Maybrat districts. Which these 3 district covers almost 10 tribes.

Samdhana and partners acknowledged this as a good momentum to moving forwards on reform agenda of land use regulation and natural management arrangement in the province that should clearly determine and secure the position of Indigenous People. Customary boundary mapping has been acknowledging as strategic tools to bring the back trusts and dignity ways of social friendly natural resources governance in this eastern island of Indonesia. The clarity of tenure/land right and access to resources are also the vehicles to helps government reaches their poverty alleviation targets and social justice in Papua. The maps and all the approaches been applying should be packaging to be mainstreamed into governance land uses and forest development agenda.

Experiences from South Sorong and Kaimana where the communities have moved with their forests resources management agenda has pointing out how mapping is crucial tools to bring customary community to contribute in the development agenda. Next step to taking are bring this maps to legally recognized and keeps working with the Government to set up a system in which it is administratively accepted and be used as land uses development plan and implementation reference. Big and long history of natural resources conflict because of the not clear benefit sharing arrangement and legal justification for Papuan IPs to claim the benefit from their rights are now open to find the new ways of natural resources management governance within clear right claim.

Expanding mapping works to help other tribes and clan secure their rights and bring the management vision should be realized by all actor. It is crucial to step out from the risks that highlighted by NGO/CSO Land Right Care Coalition that the land uses and forests development plan are deploy customary community aside rather than big cooperation needs to extract natural resources. The 1,2 million ha of 5 tribes map are a momentum to reflects and repackaging the ways forward to helps customary community in Papua addressing their needs in legal clarity and certainty of rights and access to resources within their rights.

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6 Districts in West Papua Province Initiating District Regulation on Customary Right

Facing the de facto claim of land that all peace of land in Papua has its customary owner and having high implication to the development about 6 Districts in West Papua Province of Indoensia are now working on developing their specific regulation on customary rights recognition. The issues of un-justice and disobeying local rights emerging a long with expansion of development and investment in this eastern Island of Indonesia and more often politically putting Indigenous Papuan as a victim with major impact in livelihoods, ecological and criminality (Foker 2009 on their Natural Resources Conflict Assessment in Papua). Securing the Indigenous Papuan rights over land, assets and participation on sustainable development would be the 1st step to open the box of poverty in the rich island. Poverty and forests linkages report in 2008 by World Bank highlighted the important of tenure reform and putting clear legal certainty over Papuan rights to escape from the long problem on poverty and natural resources conflict. A legal regulation at provinces and district level following Indonesian law system shall be provided to answer this.

They are Tambrauw, Sorong, Fak-Fak, South Manokwari, Kaimana and Bintuni Bay Districts are 6 districts that showing their interest and niece in pushing this regulation. Tambrauw is the advance one among other, that having a legal draft in place and has several time publicly discussed. Determining the vision and mission of the regulation to answer the concrete changes and overcome the problems are crucial while packing the contextually of law words. Except of Tambrauw, the other 5 district are the spot of high investment and have been plotting on the Province development plan as the investment priority areas. Almost all regulation been initiating by the parliament that link to the political mission of the head of the districts. Active supports by several CSO/NGO and local university such as Samdhana Institute, WWF, Paradiesa, AKA WUON and Papua State University for Tambrauw and Paradisea and Papuana Conservation for Fak-Fak have enable this process are working and keep progressing. 

Packing next steps should be properly manageable particularly the connectivity among this regulation with the draft regulation that the Papua People Assembly (MRP) at the provinces are now pushing. So once it is legally approved by the parliament, the content are connect each other and not creating miss-link that would implicate to law conflict. West Papua CSO/NGO collision confirmed that strong supports from CSO/NGO to this process are crucial because most of the parliament and government are having lack of understanding on this. Putting all update information and sharing national policy updates are parts of supports that they could provide. 

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Opini: Menyelamatkan Kawasan Ekologi Rentan di Tanah Papua

Jalan Sorong - Teminabuan, memotong bukit-bukit karts di Seremuk. -Yunus-

Pemerintah Daerah di Provinsi Papua dan Papua Barat terus mengejar target-target percepatan pembangunan di berbagai sektor dalam rangka mengejar pemerataan pembangunan dan manfaat terpadu serta menggenjot angka pertumbuhan ekonomi (PDRB dan GNP). Prioritas pembangunan kemudian diarahkan pada percepatan pembangunan infrasturktur dan percepatan investasi. Sektor-sektor infrastuktur sendiri menjadi perhatian khusus dengan prioritas pada konektifitas dan aksesibilitas antara wilayah, kampung, kabupaten bahkan dua provinsi. Misalnya di Provinsi Papua pemerintah nasional melalui Kementerian PUPR menargetkan pembangunan jalan provinsi sepanjang 1,105.8km yang menghubungkan kota dan kabupaten, sebagai contoh pembangunan jalan rute Oksibil (Kab pegunungan Bintang) - Waropko - Tana Merah (Kab Bofen Digeol) dan Merauke sepanjang 670 Km. Ruas jalan ini sendiri oleh PU dikonfirmasi hampir rampung. Selain ruas jalan tersebut, pemerintah Pusat dan Provinsi juga sedang mengejar penyelesaian ruas jalan Jayapura - Abepura - Arso (Kabupaten Kerom) - Waris dan Yeti (Kabupaten Keerom) yang dikonfirmasi memiliki Panjang 133,34 km.

Dari segi Investasi, sumber daya alam masih menjadi primadona satu-satu-nya pilihan menguntungkan bagi pemerintah untuk diexplore dan diexploitasi lebih jauh mendukung target pemerintah yang sudah ditentukan. Pertambangan, perkebunan dan kehutanan ditempatkan sebagai sektor prioritas untuk menarik perhatian pemodal besar berinvestasi di Tanah Papua. Salah satu contoh-nya adalah bagaimana kebijakan MIFEE dan pengembangan sawah sejuta hektar ditempatkan pemerintah pusat dan daerah sebagai prioritas di Merauke Papua, Cooper and Gold Mining di Timika dan Oil dan gas exploitation di Papua Barat. Jumlah perijinan sektor extraksi SDA yang besar sebagaimana laporan-laporan setiap sektor pembangunan adalah alat verifikasi yang kuat menegaskan bagaimana SDA adalah tabungan dan modal investasi krusial bagi Papua yang sedang dan dalam waktu dekat akan dialokasi untuk dikelola.

Implikasi positif dari perjalanan cepat pembangunan infrastruktur dan investasi extraksi SDA diharapkan terjadi pada keterbukaan akses, kelancaran arus perdagangan barang dan jasa, pertumbuhan ekonomi dan perubahan sosial. Tentunya perubahan sosial akan terjadi apabila pembangunan Manusia Papua berimbang dan mutu pendidikan/kualitas hidupnya juga berkembang baik secara pararel dengan percepatan pembangunan infrastruktur dan investasi yang diagendakan. Namum, disadari bahwa ada implikasi gangguan keseimbangan ekologis yang akan terjadi sebagai akibat dari terbukanya kawasan-kawasan ekologi rentan. Tentu yang menjadi pertanyaan adalah sejauh mana perencanaan pembangunan memahami dan mengakomodir kepentingan atau pertimbangan perlindungan ekologis kawasan di Papua? Apakah pemerintah kemudian sudah berhitung terhadap nilai kerusakan ekologis yang mungkin akan besar dibandingkan dengan nilai ekonomi pembangunan itu sendiri? Apakah pemerintah sendiri menyadari bahwa ekologis di papua adalah ekologi rawan bencana alam yang satu system dan system lainnya saling terkoneksi mengamankan manusia yang hidup dan beraktifitas didalamnya?

Rangakaian pertanyaan tersebut mengajak kita untuk melihat kembali, bagaimana sebaran ekologis kawasan di Papua terbangun dan kemudiannya menjalankan fungsinya sebagai system penyangga alam dan penghidupan manusia. Pemerintah sering mengabaikan apa yang dinamakan dengan kawasan ekologi rentan. Yang dalam beberapa definisi disebutkan sebagai wilayah-wilayah ekologis yang karena stuktur, komposisi, kelabilan dan fungsinya terhadap kemungkinan terjadi kerusakan dan bencana yang berdampak besar. Mengenal kawasan ekologis rentan di Papua dalam konteks definisi dan sebaran secara spasial tentu akan membantu kita mengemas detail rencana dan implementasi pembangunan yang ramah lingkungan. 

Ecology of Papua yang ditulis oleh beberapa kontributor dan di review, edit dan finalkan oleh Andrew.J Marshall dan Bruce.M Beehler menyebutkan bahwa "Papua adalah surga bagi biodiversity dunia dengan kekayaan zona ekologisnya yang menyebar secara merata hampir mulai dari hutan pantai, mangrove sampai zona alpine dengan tutupan salju abadi. Sebagian besar diantaranya adalah kawasan dengan kerentanan ekologis yang tinggi apabila mendapatkan ganggung". Beberapa kelompok yang penting dan berimplikasi besar coba dirangkum dalam kompilasi beberapa kajian dibawah:

• Kawasan Mangrove. Mangrove di Papua lebih familiar dengan istilah "Bakau". Mangrove merupakan salah satu hutan dengan kaya karbon di dunia. Hutan mangrove Indonesia menyimpan lima kali karbon lebih banyak per hektare dibandingkan dengan hutan tropis dataran tinggi (Murdiyarso et al., 2015). FAO World’s Mangrove Assessment (2006) mencatat Indonesia sebagai salah negara dengan luas hutan mangrove terbesar didunia dengan total 3.1 juta, dimana dari total mangrove Dunia dan 65%-nya atau sekitar 2 juta ha berada di Papua. Sebaran hutan mangrove di Papua hampir merata di seluruh wilayah pesisir Papua dengan pusat-pusat di Wilayah Sarmi, Bintuni, Sorong Selatan dan Merauke. Secara ekologis mangrove di Papua mengambil peran penting dalam pengaturan tata air laut, rumah bagi lebih dari 20 spesies reptile, 35 jenis burung dan lebih dari 13 specie pohon mangrove. Selain itu mangrove menyimpan sumber pangan yang sangat besar nilainya bagi masyarakat.
• Hutan Rawa Gambut. Gambut menjadi isu krusial dimata dunia yang terus memperhatikan komitmen Indonesia mengurangi gas rumah kaca karena kemampuan gambut untuk menyiapan carbon dalam jumlah yang besar. Wetland International dalam report-nya di Tahun 2001 Tentang Atlas Gambut Papua memberikan keterangan bahwa hutan Gambut di Papua cukup luas mencapai 7.97 juta ha atau sekitar 38.7% dari total kabupaten di Indonesia. Sebaran lahan gambut juga menyebar merata dari Merauke sampai Sorong dengan konsentrasi terbesar di wilayah Selatan Papua (merauke, Asmat, Bofen Digoel, Mappi dan Mimika) serta Barat Papua (Sorong, Merauke dan Sorong Selatan). Gambut secara ekologis merupakan regulator air secara alam dalam mencegah banjir. Didalamnya juga stock makanan untuk Manusia dan kekayaan keankeragaman hayati Papua tersembunyi. 
• Hutan Sagu. Hutan satu ini sudah pasti menjadi asset berharga orang Papua. Karena selain fungsi ekologis sebagai regulator air. Hutan Sagu juga merupakan sumber pangan utama yang mempertahankan penghidupan Manusia Papua terutama diwilayah dataran rendah, pesisir dan kepulauan selama ribuan tahun. Sekitar 1,2 juta ha hutan sagu berada di Papua yang apabila dilihat secara nasional luat hutan sagu di Papua mengcover hampir 90% hutan sagu yang ada di Indonesia. Sagu di Papua mengambil 3 fungsi krusial yaitu: (1) budaya, dimana sebagian masyarakat adat di papua menempatkan sagu sebagai simbol budaya misalnya pembangunan rumah dan mas kawin. (2) pangan dan papan. Sudah tidak bisa kita bantah lagi one for many adalah satu istilah yang tepat untuk menggambarkan sagu. Karena kalau ingin di daftarkan, pemanfaatan batang sagu adalah pemanfaatan tumbuhan dengan rendemen terkecil di Papua. Daunnya untuk atap rumah, pelepah untuk dinding, gagar/kulit kerasnya untuk lantai dan getahnya untuk perekat alami. Yang kemudian melengkapinya adalah extrak pati sagu merupakan sumber pengan utama dan sisa patinya merupakan media bagi jamur. Sisa batang yang ditingkan juga merupakan rumah bagi "apatar" atau "tombelo" yang merupakan sumber protein bagi masyarakat Papua. (3) hidrologis, penadah sedimentasi, abrasi dan erosi. Fungsi berikutnya adalah fungsi perlidungan ekologis yang besar mulai dari hidrologis sebagai regulator air dengan fungsi dan perannya dalam tata aliran air dan penyimpanan air, pengatur sedimentasi, pencegahan abrasi dan erosi yang sering berdampak panjang ke Banjin. Sebaran hutan sagu di Papua hampir merata diseluruh Papua kecuali daerah pegunungan tengah. 
• Kawasan Karts. Kajian terhadap kawasan karst di Tanah Papua masih sangat minim, hal ini ditunjukan dengan tidak adanya data pasti sebaran kawasan kawasan ini. Tetapi perkiraan sementara adalah mengikuti struktur geologogi bebatuan di Tanah Papua, dimana bisa diprediksi 30% dari Pulau Papua adalah gugusan bebatuan karts dengan sebaran gua-gua yang beragam tampilannya. Gugusan pulau-pulau di Raja Ampat sampai Kaimana adalah sebagian kecil dari wilayah karts yang bisa dilihat selain itu RTRWP Papua mencatat bahwa sebaran karts di Papua umumnya ditemukan di wilayah pegunungan tengah. Tata ruang Papua secara khusus merekomendasi wilayah-wilayah karts agar dimasukan dalam fungsi cagar alam geologi. Fungsi utama kawasan karst adalah penahan tata air tanah.  Wilayah-wilayah seperti Biak, Yapen dan Raja Ampat merupakan wilayah-wilayah yang pengelolaan hutan tutupan dimana tumbuhnya diatas bebatuan karst harus diperhatian secara serius.
• Mochimin (2013) didalam blognya. http://mochhim23.blogspot.co.id/ menggambarkan struktur, bentuk dan sejarah geologi Papua secara baik. Didalam kesimpulannya beliau mengatakan: Fisiografi Papua secara umum dapat dibedakan menjadi tiga bagian, yaitu bagian Kepala Burung, Leher dan Badan. Bagian utara Kepala Burung merupakan pegunungan dengan relief kasar, terjal sampai sangat terjal. Batuan yang tersusun berupa batuan produk vulkanisme, batuan ubahan, dan batuan intrusif asam sampai intermedier. Morfologi ini berangsur berubah ke arah baratdaya berupa dataran rendah aluvial, rawa dan plateau batugamping. Bagian Badan didominasi oleh pegunungan tengah, dataran pegunungan tinggi dengan lereng di utara dan di selatan berupa dataran dan rawa pada permukaan dekat laut. Karena terbentuk dari proses yang panjang dan beberapa diantaranya adalah patahan batuan seperti yang berada di Wilayah pegunungan tengah Papua, sehingga kerentanan Wilayah ini untuk bencara alam sangat tinggi. Gugusan bebatutuan dengan relief jurang dan gunungn tinggi menjadikan Papua sebagai salah satu Wilayah dengan tingkat kerawanan bencana terbesar di Papua
• Hutan penyangga danau dan sungai. Papua memiliki kekayaan potensi panorama alam danau yang sangat mempesona. Sebut saja danau Anggi di Manokwari, Habema di Wamena, Tigi-Tage di Paniai, Yamor di Kaimana, Sentani di Jayapura dan Ayamaru di Maybrat. Secara ekologis ketersediaan air dan kualitas penghidupan ikan dan biota lainnya didalam danau dipengaruhi oleh keamanan kawasan hutan yang tersusun rapi menyangga danau. Danau Ayamaru sendiri sebenaranya contoh nyata degradasi ekologis yang terjadi karena laju pengendapan, pengurangan luas permukaan danau dan kehilangan keanekaragaman hayati akibat penyusutan jumlah dan debit air. National geographi dalam catatan perjalanannya ke Danau Ayamaru mengkonfirmasi bahwa belum diketahui penyebab pasti kenapa penyusutan danau Ayamaru terjadi begitu cepat. Analisis citra selama 10 tahun terakhir menunjukan bahwa penyusutan luas danau mecapai 1 meter pertahun, beberapa indikasi muncul adalah karena pembukaan kawasan penyangga air yang tinggi seiring dengan percepatan pembangunan infrastuktur jalan di daerah reservoir seperti Mare dan Tambrauw. Keberadaan danau sangatkan penting. Sebut saja danau Paniai yang selalu menjadi sumber protein bagi masyarakat adat di sekitar Danau. 

Danau Ayamaru - Kabupaten Maybrat. Semakin Terancam karena penyusutan debit Air. -M.Solossa

Memiliki kompilasi data spasial dan analisis kerentaran ekologis secara detail menjadi penting bagi pemerintah daerah dan semua pemerhati lingkungan di Papua untuk secara baik menguji, merevisi dan mengawas implementasi dari kebijakan, program dan rencana pembangunan yang disusun. Mempertimbangkan kekhususan dan kekritisan pengaruh kawasan ekologi rentan di Papua terhadap penghidupan dan penyangga keanekaramanhayati, langkah komprehensi, taktis dan konsisten harus dibangun bersama. Beberapa langkah yang perlu diambil antara lain lain: 

• Melaksanakan satu kajian komprehensif tentang kawasan ekologi rentan baik aspek tabulasi, analisys implikasi dan tingkat spasial serta analisis hubungannya dengan system penghidupan manusia Papua.
• Membangun sistem data keruangan terkait kawasan ekologi rentan yang terkoneksikan dengan system data perencanaan pembangunan daerah. Serta selanjutnya membangun system monitoring dan kontrol penggunaan kawasan. 
• Mengembangan protokol investasi/pembangunan yang menjangka kawasan ekologi rencana, mengoptimalkan fungsi dan peran unit teknis pengelolaan kawasan tersebut serta membangun regulasi-regulasi lokal dalam upaya proteksi kawasan dan pemanfaatan berkelanjutan. 
• Membangun dan mendorong terus upaya-upaya penyiapan Manusia Papua yang siap untuk bisa menjalankan pengelolaan dan pemanfaatan kawasan dalam jalur-jalur yang bijak. Serta menjaga konsisten penegakan hukum terutama pada aspek pembangunan infrastruktur dan investasi yang keluar dari kode pengamanan dan pemanfatan berkelanjutan kawasan ekologi rentan di Papua. 

Tata kelola ruang yang baik tentu akan bisa diukur keberhasilannya apabila setiap sektor pembangunan dan nilai manfaatnya dirasakan secara seimbang. Bukan yang lain dikorbanka untuk yang lain, apalagi yang dikorbankan memberikan pengaruh besar pada keberlanjutan hidup manusia Papua.

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Opini: Bagaimana Memastikan Kebijakan Provinsi Konservasi di Terima Semua Pihak?

Manokwari, 6 Juni 2016. Bertempat di Hotel Swiss Bell manokwari Pemerintah Provinsi Papua Barat dalam kolaborasinya dengan Conservation International (CI), The Nature Conservation (TNC), World Wild Fund (WWF) dan Universitas Negeri Papua (UNIPA) mengadakan seminar dan sosialisasi sehari tentang perkembangan kerja pokja mengemas draft regulasi Provinsi Konservasi. Draft regulasi menindaklanjuti komitmen pemerintah yang dilaunching Pak Gubenur pada oktober 2015 lalu. Dalam sambutan-nya, Pak Jack Manusawai mengatakn bahwa "appresiasi harus diberikan kepada Pak Gubernur yang punya niat baik mendorong pembangunan di Provinsi Papua Barat yang berwawasan konservasi". Beliau menambahkan "draft regulasi yang sedang dibangun adalah untuk 30 tahun. Isinya sendiri sudah mulai dikembangkan sejak tahun 2010" - red: yang artinya sudah hampir 6 tahun. Waktu yang cukup panjang tentunya untuk menghasilkan satu paket perencanaan, program dan kebijakan yang padat dengan analisis dan scenario keberhasilan dan kegagalan pencapaian. Waktu yang juga cukup banyak tentunya untuk memastikan bahwa kebijakan yang sedang digagas dipahami, diterima dan dijalankan semua pihak di Provinsi Papua Barat.

Mengutip apa yang disampaikan Prof Yohanis Usfunan bahwa satu paket kebijakan yang baik adalah kebijakan yang singkat, operasional dan diterima semua pihak memperkuat 2 dari 5 pertanyaan yang saya angkat pada diskusi ini. 2 pertanyaan tersebut adalah:

1. Perubahan apa yang diharapkan terjadi disetiap sektor yang ada? Aspek-aspek krusial pembangunan seperti permbangunan ekonomi masyarakat/sosial dan ukuran keterpercayaan lainnya yang akan menjadi alat masyarakat menguji keberhasilan kebijakan konservasi ini? 
2. Apakah semua masyarakat dari tingkat provinsi sampai kabupaten/kota atau setidaknya aktor aktor kunci yang akan akan menjalankan pembangunan di daerah sudah memahami keseluruhan amanat, strategi, rencana implementasi dan skenario pembangunan provinsi konservasi ini? 

Jason M. Patlis dalam buku-nya "PEDOMAN PENYUSUNAN PERDA TERKAIT HUTAN" yang dicetak CIFOR tahun 2004 menegaskan bahwa "Sebelum menyusun Perda baru tentang pengelolaan hutan, Pemda harus benar-benar memahami wewenang dan tanggung jawabnya. Selain itu mereka juga perlu memahami dengan jelas kerangka kerja hukum dan perundang-undangan yang ada dan mempertimbangkan apakah sebuah Perda memang paling sesuai untuk memecahkan masalah yang sedang dihadapi atau tidak". Point yang disampaikan Patlis seharusnya menjadi dasar awal yang sudah mulai ditapaki pemerintah provinsi Papua. Prinsip good governance dalam pengembangan sebuah produk legal daerah sudah seharusnya menjadi alat uji bagi pemerintah provinsi sebelum melangkah jauh ke proses legislasi. Karena pro dan kontra yang masih berkembang terhadap kebijakan yang sedang digodok yang dalam beberapa sesi diskusi dianggap tidak realistis dan tidak berdasarkan kajian yang komprehensif. FAO menetapkan enam prinsip untuk merancang UndangUndang Lingkutan Hidup yang lebih baik: (1) menghindari agar tidak melampaui batas kewenangan legislatif yang ditentukan; (2) menghindari persyaratan yang berlebihan untuk mengimplementasikannya; (3) meningkatkan ketentuan-ketentuan yang bersifat transparan dan bertanggung gugat; (4) meningkatkan peran masayarakat dan pihak yang akan menjadi subject tetapi juga object dan penerima dampak; (5) memastikan bahwa rancangan peraturan perundangan bersifat partisipatif; dan (6) memastikan bahwa Undang-Undang tersebut mencakup mekanisme penegakkannya secara langsung (Lindsay, 2002). Dimana semua-nya itu bisa terpenuhi apabila aspek partisipatif, menyuluruh, transparan dan konprehensif dilakukan oleh pemerintah daerah. 

Merefleksi pada proses yang sedang dibangun oleh pemerintah provinsi, sepertinya masih banyak pekerjaan rumah yang harus dibangun untuk memastikan pihak-pihak kunci yang oleh perda ini diatur dan mempengaruhi mereka baik yang ada di tingkat provinsi maupun kabupaten kota memahami dan menyetujui substansi yang diatur oleh pemerintah daerah. Pemerintah provinsi tentu perlu mencari dan mengembangkan cara optimal untuk mendiseminasikan kebijakan yang ada bukan hanya dalam bentuk layer berita masa seperti koran yang umumnya menceritakan kejadian tetapi dalam bentuk komunikasi yang padat substansi sehingga pemahaman tersebut bisa terbangun. Substansi yang disajikan juga selayaknya: 

• Konkrit dan jelas: artinya apabila dibaca oleh orang awam tentang visi, missi tujuan dan target perubahan yang diharapkan dari implementasi perda ini di 30 Tahun kedepan harus secara jelas terdeskripsikan baik dalam bentuk angka, graphic, presentasi atau bentuk lainnya yang bisa dimengerti. 
• Terpadu dan berimbang: informasi yang disajikan tentu harus berimbang dari semua hal (BAB per BAB) yang diatur, misalnya aspek hak dan kewajiban, subject dan object sampai dengan sanksi. Sehingga para pihak memahami arah pengaturan dan isi yang diatur. 
• Dapat dipertanggung jawabkan referensinya: menegaskan kepada siapa pertanyaan, saran, komentar, keberatan dan koreksi harus disampaikan dan bagaimana memonitor proses selanjutanya.

Mengejar target penetapan sebagaimana yang disampaikan Pokja per September 2016 mungkin sah-sah saja, tetapi memastikan dan menguji bahwa PERDA ini realistis, diterima semua pihak dan akan operasional adalah jauh lebih penting menurut saya. Sehingga diseminasi informasi serta penangkapan aspirasi perlu juga dilakukan secara berimbang, terbuka dan menyeluruh untuk memastikan aspek good governance dari perda ini dipenuhi dan kondisi pemungkin perda ini operasional bisa terjadi.

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Alarm....... Manokwari Darurat Sampah..... (Edisi Asap)......

Dalam postingan sebelumnya saya menghighlight bagaimana sampah menjadi perusak tampilan kota Manokwari terutama di jalan-jalan, parit, pasar, sungai bahkan laut. Kali ini edisi postingan saya menyajikan cerita sore yang saya tangkap masih tentang sampah tetapi dari sisi implikasi dari buruk tata kelola, penampungan dan pengelolaan sampah di kota Manokwari. Ya.... yang saya maksudkan adalah pilihan warga kota manokwari untuk membakar sampah dilingkungan mereka ketimbang ditampung dan dibuang ke TPS (tempat penampungan sampah sementara) atau TPA (tempat pembuangan akhir) yang sudah disediakan. Maklum TPA dann TPS sendiri tidak juga ditata dengan baik dan management pengelolaannya sepertinya juga buruk.
Photo: pembakaran sampah rumput di pinggir jalan. by: Yunus Y
Sore ini saya berkeliling kota Manokwari dan mencoba menghitung berapa banyak jumlah titik pembakaran sampah. Cukup mencengangkan angkanya, titik api sore ini mencapai lebih dari 123 titik bakaran dengan variasi pembakaran sampah yang berbeda-beda. Angka ini tentu secara akumulasi bisa lebih besar karena saya baru hanya berkeliling wilayah kota dan belum menjangkau tempat pinggiran seperti pasir putih, amban pantai bahwa sowi dan arfai. Ada yang saya temukan membakar sampah plastik, ada yang membakar sisa dampur berupa bahan organik, ada yang membakar sampah berupa sisa rumput dan ada pula yang membakar sampah bekas ban/karet. Kira-kira apa dampak langsungnya ya? Sudah pasti kualitas udara yang sangat kotor sebagai akibat dari akumulasi gas dan asap kotor yang dilepas keudara selama proses pembakaran. Saya pun berpikir dan bertanya kira-kira Manokwari dengan kota yang dikerumuni pepopohon masih cukup sehatkah apabila yang dihirup disore hari adalah udara kotor dari asap buangan pembakaran sampah? Bagaimana kualitas kesehatan kita kira-kira?

Di tengah ketidaksadaran semua pihak terhadap sampah dan dampaknya serta makin menumpuknya jumlah sampah dan tingginya pembakaran yang dilakukan pemerintah sendiri cenderung belum beraksi banyak. Indeks kualitas udara saja tidak kelihatan dan tidak terpasang sehingga kita masyarakat sendiri tidak sadar apakah udara yang mereka hirup di kota setiap sore adalah udara bersih atau udara yang sebenarnya sudah tidak sehat? Implikasi dari asap terhadap masalah pernapasan mungkin belum diketahui angkanya tetapi dugaan saya angkanya cukup besar dengan cara masyarakat membakar sampah yang mereka punya - mungkin menarik untuk mengetahui catatan dari puskesmas atau rumah sakit yang ada di manokwari tentang jumlah pasien penderita penyakit pernafasan.

.........Manokwari darurat sampah, Manokwari darurat asap pembakaran sampah........ adalah pesan kritis yang saya temukan sore ini. Melakukan evaluasi dan perubahan total terhadap tata kelola pengelolaan sampah di kota Injil menjadi kebutuhan tindakan emergency yang harus dilakukan oleh pemerintah daerah merespon situasi yang sudah darurat ini. Selain pemerintah, masyarakat juga perlu secara sadar melihat pentingnya pemeliharaan lingkungan hidup, mengumpulkan sampah dan mengurangi pembakaran.

Phtoto: Asap Menutup jalan akbat pembaran sampah. by Yunus

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Menguji Berjalannya satu Inisiative Hutan Desa di Indonesia: Sebuah Bahan untuk Fasilitator!

Kebijakan perhutanan sosial di era president Jokowi memberikan target yang besar yaitu tercapainya 12,7 juta ha areal kerja untuk implementasi skema hutan desa (HD), Hutan Kemasyarakatan (HKM) dan Hutan Tanaman Rakyat (HTR) oleh beberapa pihak dinilai positive tetapi ambisius dan tidak realistis ditengah persoalan tata kelola hutan yang masih belum selesai. Selain itu pendampingan dan fasiltasi semua pihak terhadap beberapa pilot dan designated areas untuk perhutanan sosial yang ada sekarang juga belum optimal membuat kita untuk tentu perlu melihat kembali keseriusan fasilitasi di tingkat lapangan untuk memastikan target yang ada tidak hanya target ditutup dengan pidato politis tetapi laporan realisasi proses dan keberhasilan di lapangan. Karena seyogyanya kebijakan ini sangat strategis untuk membantu masyarakat didalam dan sekitar hutan mengakses sumber daya alam, dikelola untuk menjawab kebutuhan peningkatan kesejahteraannya.

Hutan Desa misalnya dipandang sebagai sebuah angin segar bagi komunitas atau desa/kampung yang berada pada kawasan hutan dengan fungsi produksi dan lindung. Untuk wilayah-wilayah seperti Kalimantan, Sumatera, Sulawesi dan Papua dengan tutupan hutan primer dengan fungsi lindung dan produksi yang luas tentu melihat ini sebagai sebuah peluang untuk mengimplementasikan perjuangan lama konsep PHBM di dalam kawasan hutan negara. Beberapa model hutan desa kemudian di inisiasi. Dominan difasilitasi oleh CSO/NGO lingkungan. Papua sendiri saat ini tercatat ada 3 hutan desa yang sudah ditetapkan sejak Tahun 2014 yaitu Hutan Desa Esania di Kaimana dengan luas 11,005 ha, Hutan Desa Sira dan Hutan Desa Manggroholo di Sorong Selatan dengan total luasan 3,800 ha. Proses legal penetapan areal kerja sampai pra kondisi penyiapan masyarakat sudah juga dijalankan dengan harapan besar Hutan desa memberikan manfaat balik kepada masyarakat di kampung yang mengusulkan.

Aspek legal, teknis dan bussiness yang padat dari Hutan Desa juga sangat dipengaruhi oleh bagaimana kesiapan sosial kelembagaan yang ada di tingkat kampung/desa. Serta bagaimana peran dominan seorang fasilitator memfasiltasi keseluruhan proses dilapangan. Sorong Selatan dan Kaimana di Papua bagi saya sebuah contoh dan pelajaran penting untuk merumuskan pola dan mekanisme intervensi HD yang tepat untuk Papua. Kelemahan-kelemahan dan kekurangan pada aspek krusial hutan desa di tingkat kampung tentu perlu terus dilihat sebagai sebuah titik kebocoran yang perlu ditambal untuk memastikan HD berjalan optimal. Pengalaman Sorong Selatan dan Kaimana telah memberikan saya satu paket pertanyaan yang saya sebutkan sebagai "Menguji Berjalananya satu Inisiative Hutan Desa di Indonesia". Paket pertanyaan ini adalah rangkuman beberapa pertanyaan yang muncul di kepala saya berdasarkan pengalaman fasilitasi di Kaimana dan fasilitasi yang dilakukan oleh teman-teman di Sorong Selatan. Daftar pertanyaan tersebut saya sajikan didalam file word berikut DOWNLOAD. silahkan di download untuk membantu semua pihak yang konsen terhadap pembangunan hutan desa.

Berbagai panduan praktis sudah disiapkan untuk secara sederhana kita menguji sebuah proses fasilitasi hutan desa. Tetapi memiliki sebuah alat uji dengan rangkaian pertanyaan mungkin bisa membantu kita untuk terus melihat, mefasilitasi dan mengukur titik capaian dan progress yang sudah dilalui dari sebuah proses hutan desa.

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Indigenous Moi People Refuse the Oilpalm Expantion

Sorong, 20 May 2016. Hundreds of Moi customary people in the big groups of young and old came and banged the doors of Parliament of Sorong District West Papua Province, voicing up their aspiration to stop the oil palm expansion in their land. "Without Oil palm we can live in our land, the forests has provide every thing for us and has make us survive until now" says the group in a loud. They added "oil palm not create welfare but in vice versa has implicates to massive ecological destructive and changing in social lives".

This protest was the accumulative of Moi people anger to the government and Oil Palm concession that disobeying the rights of Indigenous Moi People those who has refused for oil palm existence in their land. People from Klayili and Klamono says that been witnessing the destruction conducted by PT. Henrison Inti Persada (HIP) in their land and don't fell any social changes in term of increasing of economic Income. David Ulimpa - the clan leader then added "we asked the Parliament to chase government taken out the license been granted to PT. Mega Mustika Plantation to converting forests in Klasow valley. Because the community since 2012 until now has raised their disagreement to the this investment plan". Beside PT. MMP they also refuse for the new established license for PT. Cipta Papua Plantation that hold 15,000 ha of oilpalm concession in Moi Land.

Charles Tawaru, Forests Campaigner Greenpeace Papua whose also joined in the long march said that "This protests was the representative of bigger voices of Papuan to says they not want Oil Palm coming to Papua. Because it has clearly destruct the foods plots, secret place, hunting areas and water catchment that are crucial for their livelihood and culture".

Community aware that they needs development and they support the government initiative to speed up the development but should works on the path that recognize the existence and right of the customary right holder. The coalition of big capital holder with the politician actor in region has only prioritizing their economic and politic interests but more often disobeying the right of People and has work bellow good forests and land uses governance standard. Even a big question about sustainability objective. Internal report of young Moi groups noted that customary community never involved in the legal administration and concession contract process that happened between government and concession. Compensation as cost of the early impacts are mostly the worse last step that the they will always do after the contract even though this mostly not counting double and long term impacts on livelihood and landscape the community will faces during and after the operation of the concession.

Adam Klouw, the head of Sorong District Parliament who received this protests together with several other parliament members appreciated the diligent and critics that Moi People has and noted that the protests have been addressed to the right institution. He was also cried because customarily part of Moi people and part of those who have land in granted for concession. He said "the Parliament will make sure that this aspiration will be pushing up to the higher stakeholder. I expects we could work together in keep voice up the problem so it can be solved soon".

#SaveMoiLand#

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Gunung Meja - The Forgotten Forests Park in the City Manokwari

The silent un-managed beauty forests park would be the sentence I conclude after this holiday trips in Gunung Meja. Gunung Meja or in English we could say “table-mountain” is a designated public forests park in the city of Manokwari through ministry of forestry decree in 2012 cover an areas of 462,16 ha. Lays in the 100 - 210 m above sea level the park provides the beautiful spot to enjoy all the city and landscape of Manokwari that mostly developed bellow it. As a forests it is the home of different types of trees, epiphytes, birds, orchids and insects. We could easily found beautiful butterfly, wild flowers and orchids along the park that for me is the place to taking a walks in the hot sunny days. Tree canopy covers creates cool fresh air that people always feel in the primary untouched forests. But yes it is not well managed so many the facilities have broken and more sadly is the park is also become an alternative garbage spots for the people around the park.

Explored the history the park actually has exist since Dutch colony, Bosh Reselve Tuffelberg[1] is the early given names back in 1950 when it was designated as protection forests because of its crucial hydrology function as the water catchment areas. Then having several legally designation changes by Indonesia Government since 1963, 1980 and 2012 as Taman Hutan Rakyat (public forests parks) and be legally supervised by ministry of forestry through conservation management body at provinces level. In 1980 the name was changed into natural tourism park (Taman Wisata Alam/TWA), which designed as one of the recreation spot in the city that would also increase city income from tourism.

Major problem I saw is there’s no clear management unit with its duties that managed the park even though the legal decree has in place. It implicates to the situation where: (1) all the building are completely broken, (2) trash everywhere, (3) broken roads, (4) no sign, (5) no toilet, (6) no clear regulation, forbidden or any other action to control the areas, (7) no guards that collecting enter fee, (8) no walking track, (9) no wall that protects the park with its buffers area and (10) not clear who own the park.

Despite of its complex management problems, from what I found in this park the complete picture of steady forests, is working function on climates/temperature regulatory, hydrology functions and the home of high threaten biodiversity in city. The waters that clean and fresh for example is flowing without stop even in the dry season. I met some students of UNIPA (I quest they are from Wamena-the central highland of Papua) in the stream while washing and taking a bath, there is medium size pipes that taking water to several houses in the borders of the parts. As I continued climbed the hill, I found carts rocks holding big trees above it and for me this is the great point to enjoy the city even though high canopy density. The diversity index is also high in term of tree species you can see in the park. Several high price timbers such Matoa (Pometia, sp) and Merbau (Instia, sp) can also easily be founded here. Moved to the northern part the robust stock of palm and pendants will welcome you with their long spicy green leave. Across the main roads beautiful wild flowers decorating the scene. And I think this made me confirmed the publication I got from Prof Charlie Heatubun et all (2008) about the diversity of flora and fauna in Gunung Meja. They said the parks has 101 species of timber species in almost dominated by Matoa family (Pometia Sp and has at least 15 species palm, bamboo and pandan. 

Having a clear management body with concrete action and duty in managing the parks seems like the only solution to revitalizing the existence of park while maintaining the major function on hydrology. Its requires a comprehensive attention, action and intervention to makes the parks is benefits. Built this spot is convenient fresh and beautiful forests park for public should be agreed on common consensus. Emerging question now is who should move first to mobilize other?  In this scenario I think Government should be in the frontline on powering all stakeholder to move on. Papua State University (UNIPA) with plenty of forestry, social, institutional and policy experts is the vital capital that the city has to help the government and they partners in make the expectation become a reality.

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[1] Sources, Max Tokede.

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