138 Km Barrier: Lampung Governor Calls It Proof of President's Commitment to Resolving Way Kambas Elephant Conflict

The conflict between wild elephants and communities around Way Kambas National Park has been ongoing since 1983. President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, has given special attention to the human-elephant conflict in the Way Kambas National Park area by constructing a fence or barrier spanning 138 kilometres as a permanent solution to the conflict that has lasted for decades. Residents of the buffer villages around Way Kambas National Park expressed their gratitude for the government’s attention and concrete actions in handling the conflict between humans and wild elephants, which has been ongoing since 1983 or for 43 years. This was conveyed during the Way Kambas National Park Forum Rembuk with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni in East Lampung on Thursday, 26 March 2026. A total of 23 villages from 7 sub-districts in East Lampung Regency attended directly, along with representatives from 5 sub-districts and 11 villages in Central Lampung Regency, which are also buffer areas for Way Kambas National Park. In total, there are about 38 buffer villages and 15 villages affected by the elephant conflict around the Way Kambas National Park area. For decades, communities have lived alongside conflicts with wild animals that damage agricultural lands, settlements, and threaten residents’ safety. The construction of this barrier represents a concrete step to end the conflict between humans and wild animals, which has caused significant losses for communities and the environment. Lampung Governor Rahmat Mirzani Djauzal emphasised that the proposal for the barrier construction originated from regional aspirations submitted to the central government in November 2025. According to him, the President’s decision to expand the barrier construction to 138 kilometres is strong proof of the central government’s commitment to resolving the protracted conflict. He also explained that the barrier construction will directly impact the economic improvement of buffer village communities. “For a long time, agricultural activities such as cassava, rice, and maize have not been able to run optimally due to conflicts with wild animals. With this barrier, communities are expected to be able to maximise agricultural lands again and develop new commodities such as honey, lemongrass, and other forestry commodities,” he stated. In addition to being a conflict solution, he continued, the barrier construction will also be integrated with buffer village development programmes, thereby accelerating economic growth for communities around conservation forest areas. From a technical perspective, the barrier construction uses steel construction with a combination of large-diameter pipes and a force-resistant system designed to withstand elephant pressure. This structure has undergone strength testing, so it is expected to provide an effective long-term solution. The government targets completion within 3 to 4 months. This programme will also be combined with a mixed funding scheme involving the government, private sector, and non-governmental organisations. This step aims to create new job opportunities, drive economic growth, and ensure that surrounding communities directly benefit. With this barrier construction programme, buffer village communities hope that the human-elephant conflict, which has lasted for more than four decades, can soon end, allowing communities to live more safely, the environment to remain preserved, and buffer village economies to grow better in the future.