Gunung Lumut Protection Forest, Kalimantan, Indonesia

Malinau Kalimantan |  Gunung Lumut - Kalimantan  |  Papua  |  Sumatra

Gunung Lumut Protection Forest (GLPF), an important area for biodiversity conservation and watershed management of Paser District, East Kalimantan, is under heavy pressure from forest encroachment and timber extraction. The Gunung Lumut Biodiversity Assessment (GLBA), coordinated by Tropenbos International–Indonesia (TBI-I), was initiated in order to apply for the status of World Heritage Site and to improve the GLPF management plan. TBI-I asked CIFOR to complement their biodiversity survey using the MLA approach in an area of more than 30,000 ha. The study aimed to identify species people found important for their daily needs, potential sites for ecotourism and other development options, and to understand local people’s view on threats to forests.

The socio-economic research involved FORDA, Wanariset Samboja, the Center for Environmental Sciences Leiden (CML), IPB, Unmul and a local NGO Persatuan Masyarakat Adat Paser. The study focused on two settlements near the GLPF area, Mului and Rantau Layung. Twenty households participated in the study, including key informants - village head, hunters, teachers, healer and customary leader - with specific knowledge of local history, hunting sites, medicinal plants and rituals.

CIFOR and FORDA conducted the socioeconomic survey based on the MLA methods. Unmul, IPB, Wanariset Samboja and CML conducted the biophysical survey separately.

Coordinating research activities of 19 Indonesian and Dutch researchers and more than 30 field assistants for the whole project cause frequent logistic difficulties.

The socioeconomic survey was adapted to suit the overall GLBA objectives. Questionnaires were simplified and improved so that relevant information was gathered (e.g. important NTFPs, household income, potential for eco-tourism). Household surveys collected information on the plants and animals that people gather from the forest and other land types.

Two workshops were held, in Balikpapan and Paser, to disseminate project results and recommendations to the local government and other stakeholders. TBI-I proposed to include the results on local perceptions into the proposal addressed to UNESCO for the establishment of the World Heritage Site. TBI-I is also using the results to support local government plans to establish a conservation district, and to propose the Gunung Lumut area as a national park.

The approach was adapted to answer problems faced by the management of GLPF and to identify potential resources that would benefit both local livelihood and biodiversity conservation. However it raised expectations among the villagers, who believed that development programmes would be implemented.

Villagers expressed their support to the project, as long as there are no plans to move them from their area and to restrict access to forest resources. Several potential and actual threats to the sustainability of the GLPF were identified, which would also benefit the planning and monitoring activities of the GLPF management team. All GLPF stakeholders have shared their experiences and contributed during the project, which has built collaboration and teamwork. The new management group of GLPF was formed during the workshop in Paser, combining elements of government, universities, NGOs and communities.