I

ndonesian delegates at a forest management meeting that began Tuesday are promoting Tenganan and Sibetan villages in Bali as prime examples of community-based forest management.

In the four-day meeting attended by delegates from 10 countries grouped under the Forest Governance Learning Group (FGLG), residents of the two villages in Karangasem regency related their success in conserving their forests by adhering to traditional environmental stewardship.

"For many years now, from one generation to the next, the people of Tenganan and Sibetan have always complied with traditional laws in preserving the forests and the entire environment," Karangasem Regent Wayan Gredeg said in his presentation.

"The local wisdom of the indigenous people and collaboration between desa adat *traditional villages*, NGOs and the local administration is the key to sustainable forest management in the area."

He cited a traditional law prohibiting villagers from picking ripe fruits before they fall off the tree, as well as taking wood from forests without the of village elders.

"Only married couples who need wood to build their homes are allowed to get it from the forest, but they need approval from the village council," Gredeg said.

The villagers, he went on, upheld the principle of Tri Hita Karana to conserve nature, which emphasizes the links between humans, deities and the environment.

Tucked away in hilly and rocky areas of Karangasem, Tenganan and Sibetan villages are popular agritourism destinations. Sibetan is renowned for its salak (snake fruit) plantations, which dominate the landscape around the village.

Karangasem spans 83,954 hectares, most of which is arid land. Protected forests constitute 17 percent of the area, or 14,260 hectares - far less than the 30 percent stipulated in zoning laws.

Gredeg said his administration had developed 11,715 hectares, and counting, of community forests.

Karangasem's efforts to preserve its forests have won many accolades, including being named by the Forestry Ministry as Bali's best regency for forest stewardship in 2008.

The FGLG meeting also touched on forest countries' strong bargaining position ahead of the upcoming climate change summit in Copenhagen, as forests will be one of the central negotiation topics, particularly with regard to the concept of reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).

Countries represented at the FGLG meeting are Indonesia, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam.

Also in attendance are researchers from the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the coordinator of the FGLG.

"All these countries have the potentials to reap benefits from the negotiations," said IIED natural resources head James Mayers.

"They should put values on their forests through adaptation and mitigation efforts, set up appropriate descriptions and mechanisms for carbon trading."

The FGLG brings together diverse stakeholders concerned about forest conservation.