Tribe fights for park<\/p>\n
Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post\/Jambi<\/p>\n
Illegal logging and land clearance in the past 20 years have
\ndeforested some 40 percent out of the total 60,500-hectare forest
\nin the Bukit Duabelas National Park.<\/p>\n
To prevent further damage to the forest reserve, the Rimba
\n(forest) tribe, natives to the area, has made efforts to develop
\nagro-forestry in the form of hompongan (rubber plantation), over
\nthe past two years. They believe that their existence will be in
\njeopardy without a forest to live in.<\/p>\n
They reason that the rubber plantation can replace the
\nsecondary forest and, from the economic side, it will also be a
\nbenefit for the Rimba tribe.<\/p>\n
The rubber plantation is located on the fringe of the park and
\nborders nearby villages. The entire area of the rubber plantation
\nextends to some 300 hectares at the moment and is being managed
\nby 300 Rimba households in the Makekal, Airhitam, Kejasungbesak
\nand Terab watersheds. Each household handles a one-hectare plot.<\/p>\n
\"The total area is not that big but it can at least help to
\npreserve the severely damaged national park,\" assistant manager
\nof the Indonesian Conservation Community (KKI) overseeing the
\npark, Nurdin Hasan, told The Jakarta Post recently.<\/p>\n
The KKI has helped and encouraged the Rimba tribe to preserve
\nthe park for the past two years. Every one in the Rimba tribe has
\nbeen requested to collect rubber seedlings around their villages.
\n\"We have also given them prime seedlings,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The KKI this year is making efforts to extend the area of the
\nrubber plantation by 100 percent so that each family will get two
\nhectares.<\/p>\n
Besides being able to restore the forest, the rubber
\nplantation will also become a source of livelihood for them, said
\nNurdin. They can obtain a new source of livelihood with the
\npresence of the rubber plantation even though the rubber trees
\nwill not be able to be tapped for another two years. The Rimba
\ntribe used to live on subsistence agriculture and hunting.<\/p>\n
The efforts are valuable in helping preserve the forest given
\nthat the government thus far has shown little sign of
\nimplementing the National Forest Renewal Program (GNRH) program,
\nwhich initially projected the reforestation of 4,800 hectares in
\nthe park this year. Lack of funds is blamed for the failure to
\nproceed with the plan.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tribe-fights-for-park-1447893297",
"image": ""
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