Forestry sector faces new issues<\/p>\n
By Aleksius Jemadu<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): Indonesia is aspiring to move to a more
\nsustainable management of its forest resources. Along this line
\nit has been suggested that the government will manage the
\nremaining forest resources in a more balanced way between
\nproduction and conservation interests.<\/p>\n
The new orientation implies that the key word is not
\n\"production\", but \"management\". Thus, the main challenge is how
\nto manage access from different stakeholders (government, private
\ncompanies, state enterprises, environmental NGOs, and local
\ncommunities) to forest resources in such a way that would
\nguarantee the sustainability of the resource base.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that, over the last three decades,
\nIndonesian forestry policies have focused heavily on the
\nutilization of forest resources by private companies which have
\nbeen more concerned with profit margins than with forest
\nconservation. Another characteristic is the exclusion of local
\ncommunities whose traditional knowledge and expertise would
\notherwise be an invaluable contribution to the conservation of
\nforest biodiversity.<\/p>\n
Reform proponents M. R. de Montalembert and F. Smithusen
\nargue that forests today must be managed in a much more
\ninterdependent and complex way than in the past. Forestry
\npolicies, which emphasize policy approaches, have repeatedly
\ndemonstrated their failures. Instead of capitalizing on
\ncentralization of power as a mechanism of control, partnerships
\namong participants and the involvement of major interest groups
\nin forest management decisions is a must.
\nThere is a need to reconcile the divergent interests of the
\nparties involved. Only through a process of reconciliation can we
\nsolicit their commitment into a collective action which could
\nhinder further depletion of forest resources.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that the forestry sector today has to
\ndeal with new challenges and demands including biodiversity,
\nagroforestry, community, community forestry, environmental
\nprotection, and ecotourism. Forest Departments in developing
\ncountries are under increasing pressure to share their
\nresponsibilities with other institutions. Emmanuel D'Silva and S.
\nApanah even go further by saying that \"in the 21st century,
\nforestry departments might be required to confine themselves to
\npolicy-making, regulatory, and monitoring roles; other tasks
\ncould possibly be performed by the private sector, community
\norganizations, NGO's consulting firms, and so forth, on a
\ncontract basis\".<\/p>\n
The World Bank Country Study on Indonesia, published in
\n1994, underscored the importance of enhancing institutional
\ncapacities for environmental management, especially in the
\nforestry sector. It is argued that three conditions should be met
\nin order to have an effective environmental management. First, a
\nclear definition of the roles of various agencies involved in
\nenvironmental management should be made. It should be mentioned,
\nin particular, there is a need to decentralize responsibilities
\nat the regional level and improve coordination between different
\nlevels of government on one hand and between public and private
\nsectors on the other. Second, we need a sufficient supply of
\nskilled personnel who would be responsible for environmental
\nmanagement. If possible and feasible, the government could
\ncontract out services to the private sector. Third, a more
\nparticipatory approach in managing the environment should be
\ncarried out by incorporating local communities, project
\nbeneficiaries, and environmental NGOs in policy-making and
\nimplementation.<\/p>\n
Learning from the experience of the Philippines, the
\nIndonesian government could also establish a National
\nEnvironmental Protection Council (NEPC), an interministerial body
\nwhich would have access to the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry
\nof Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Home
\nAffairs, the Ministry of Transmigration and Settlement for Forest
\nDwellers, the Ministry of Public Works, the National Development
\nPlanning Agency and the Environmental Impact Management Agency.
\nThrough this council, dialogue and information sharing can be
\nconducted.<\/p>\n
Another advantage of such an interministerial agency is to
\ncultivate and strengthen environmental awareness in the public
\nsector. Given the strategic role of the timber industry in
\nnational development and the growing importance of environmental
\nprotection, the Vice President, who is presently responsible for
\ndevelopment supervision, could lead this council. The main
\nfunction of the council is to give recommendations to the
\nministers and parliament regarding the incorporation of an
\nenvironmental dimension to their decisions. The presence of this
\ncouncil can also add to the prominence and urgency of the
\nenvironmental policy agenda at a central level.<\/p>\n
Another important aspect of forestry policies, which needs to
\nbe seriously considered, is the integration of forest resource
\nmanagement into regional development.<\/p>\n
The significant role forest resources play in increasing state
\nrevenues on which our forestry policies have been based, has
\nresulted in the incongruence between central government
\npriorities and regional development needs.<\/p>\n
The implementation of Joint Decree No. SKB.
\n147\/MEN\/1995\/580\/Kpts-II\/1995\/740\/Kpts\/KB.530\/1995 by the
\nMinistry of Transmigration and Settlement for Forest Dwellers,
\nthe Ministry of Forestry, and the Ministry of Agriculture,
\nconcerning the combination of transmigration and community
\nforestry programs (THR), can be used as an illustration.<\/p>\n
Given the fact that the success of the THR program will depend
\non contributions by many policy makers, the use of a hierarchical
\nand top-down approach in the program planning process seems to be
\ninadequate. Therefore, mutual trust and interdependence among
\ndifferent levels of government on one hand and between public and
\nprivate sectors on the other should be stressed.<\/p>\n
Hierarchically organized implemented policies are believed to
\nhave been contaminated by political and commercial interests
\nwhich have marginalized regional and local development. The THR
\nprogram does have the potential of integrating policy objectives
\nfrom the central government (raw materials for industry and
\nreforestation of degraded forest lands), local development
\n(employment and agroforestry expansion), and local communities
\n(income generation and a more stable environment). Through this
\ncollaboration, illegal logging and encroachment into protected
\nforests can be reduced.<\/p>\n
NGOs can do a lot in providing sustainable forest management
\nas long as the government is willing to share responsibilities
\nwith them. Local NGOs in East Kalimantan and Irian Jaya, for
\ninstance, have been quite active in educating and giving legal
\nadvice to local communities, defending their rights in land
\ndisputes with timber companies, and conducting environmental
\npolicy advocacy.<\/p>\n
NGOs can function as mediators between local communities and
\ngovernment officials. The involvement of NGOs is particularly
\nessential in promoting bottom-up planning. Unfortunately, some
\ngovernment officials are still suspicious over the role of NGOs.
\nMore dialogue and communication between the two should be
\nencouraged in order to build mutual trust and cooperation in
\nsolving development problems at the local level.<\/p>\n
A solution to the problem of tropical deforestation is not
\nonly the responsibility of timber-producing countries, but also
\nof developed countries which consume timber products in order to
\nmaintain their lifestyle. Therefore, the participation of
\ninternational development agencies in promoting sustainable
\nforest management should be seen as a positive sign of sharing
\nthe responsibility between developing and developed countries.<\/p>\n
The involvement of these agencies at the implementation level
\ncould give some advantages to the government. First, agencies
\nprovide financial assistance and experts which are essential to
\naccomplish conservation programs. Second, foreign experts who
\ncollaborate with local government authorities could make an
\nobjective assessment of the real needs of local people and
\nforward them to central government policy makers. Very often
\nlocal government officials fail to articulate local interests due
\nto cultural barriers and a lack of sensitivity. Third,
\ninternational development agencies can help improve the quality
\nof our foresters in finding solutions to our environmental
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
We may then conclude that, in order to be able to face new
\nchallenges and demands in the forestry sector, the government
\nneeds to abandon the traditional reliance on its centralization
\nof control. The participation of those outside government
\nbureaucracies should be encouraged.<\/p>\n
The writer is a lecturer at the Faculty of Social and
\nPolitical Sciences of the Catholic University of Parahyangan,
\nBandung.<\/p>",
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