Abnormality in optimal forest management by indigenous people in deforestation

• Published in: Global journal of environmental science and management 2024-01, Vol.10 (1), p.405-418
• Main Authors: Mutolib, A, Yonariza, Y, Rahmat, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Data collection; Deforestation; Economic factors; Encroachment; Forest management; Forestry; Forestry laws; Forests; indigenous people; Indigenous peoples; Military personnel; Native peoples; Ownership; Police; Qualitative analysis; Sales; Social conditions; Social interactions; social network; Social networks; Social organization; ulayat forest; Villages
• ISSN: 2383-3572; 2383-3866
• DOI: 10.22034/gjesm.2024.01.25

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Deforestation threatens 120.5 million hectares of forest, and it occurs at a rate of 115 thousand hectares per year. Economic needs and livelihoods encourage people to cut and farm forest areas. Deforestation is considered to be a random and unstructured process that does not involve indigenous people. This research found that indigenous people and various other parties are continuously involved in forest land encroachment. Social networks have facilitated indigenous people and encroachers (buyers of forest land). This research aims to identify the actors involved in forest encroachment and the social network structure in the deforestation process in the production forest of Dharmasraya, Indonesia. METHODS Th is study employs an ethnographic case study approach to understanding the drivers of deforestation in the Production Forest Management Unit of Dharmasraya. The Production Forest Management Unit of Dharmasraya covers an area of 33,550 hectares. In customary law, the production forest is owned by four indigenous communities from the Nagari (villages): Bonjol, Abai Siat Nagari Sikabau, and Sungai Dareh. In this research, the data were collected through interviews that asked the respondent to report on those with whom she/he shared particular relations. Primary data were collected using in-depth interviews employing the snowball sampling method. The data collection used interview guides relating to the actors involved in forest sales and the deforestation process. Key informant interviews involving 34 key informants were conducted with traditional leaders, representatives of a lineage unit (Ninik Mamak) and adat functionaries {Datuokcustomary authorities), Wali Nagari (village chiefs), local institutional leaders, the government, companies, and those holding concessions. The secondary data were collected from relevant agencies in the research area. The data were analyzed using descriptive-qualitative tools. FINDINGS: Three parties are interested in forest production, namely, the local indigenous people, the companies, and the government and each parties claims the production forest because each party sees itself as being the most eligible for forest ownership; this causes an overlap of forest management and ownership among the actors. The indigenous people have become the most powerful party in the ownership of the production forest. The claims of ownership of forests as customary forests have caused the traditional authorities