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S.Sulawesi pilots forest community empowerment project
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Forest conservation -- The Environment and Forestry Ministry’s human resource development head, Siti Aini Hanum (left), speaks in a discussion in Makassar, South Sulawesi, She said the government aimed to not only develop sustainable forest management but also wanted to ensure forests could bring benefits to local communities. (thejakartapost.com/Andi Hajramurni)
T
he Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Indonesia, together with the Environment and Forestry Ministry, has launched an economic empowerment project for people who live around forests in South Sulawesi.
FAO and the ministry selected Jeneberang and Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park forest management units (KPH) to pilot the project, which aims to not only improve the prosperity of communities living around the forests but also to maintain their conservation.
Strengthening human resources at KPH Jeneberang and Bantimurung Bulusaraung and empowering communities living around forests are two of the first activities conducted to implement the project.
The ministry’s human resource development head, Siti Aini Hanum, said Jeneberang and Bantimurung Bulusaraung were two KPHs with high potential to be developed in the future. The potential included honey bee cultivation, agroforestry, ecotourism and bamboo planting.
“What we want to focus on is to improve the prosperity of people living around the forests. Hence, we support the use of forests by local communities; however, forest conservation also must be maintained well,” said Aini.
“KPH officials, who routinely provide elucidation on forest conservation, are the closest to the people. That’s why we are striving to empower KPH human resources,” she went on.
Aini further explained the government established KPH as an effort to improve forest management. KPH is responsible to compose the management plan on forest use, rehabilitation and reclamation as well as forest protection and nature conservation, she added.
FAO Indonesia representative assistant Ageng S.Herianto said KPH could function maximally if its human resources were ready. This would lead to good forest management, he went on. (ebf)
