Assessing and preventing deforestation in Kayan Mentarang National Park, North Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Abstract

National parks in Indonesia are valuable assets for the next generations. The urgency to maintain and protect their existence from land degradation and deforestation is an obligation. Moreover, deforestation is the most severe threat to biodiversity. In Kalimantan, deforestation is happening and usually leads to economic loss and poverty. Despite this habitat loss, our ability to quantify deforestation in certain areas to improve mitigation measures, meet the needs of agricultural land, and increases local communities’ resilience and ensure that their customary rights. This study aims to provide models to assess the deforestation rate in Kayan Mentarang National Park and give recommendation action based on existing Land Use Zonation. To achieve this aim, firstly Landsat images was obtained and analysed to produce land use and land cover classification. However, cloud coverage in this area is more than 30% which is too difficult to classify the land cover area. This research use alternative resources from JAXA to generate deforestation map at study area. Then compile this map into map of Land Use Zonation of KMNP to provide specific location of deforestation occurrence. The result showed that deforestation rate at KMNP is low, around 3% and the Traditional Zone has the biggest amount of deforestation occurrence; 18.727 hectare. This finding would give information to the government of KMNP to accelerate empowerment program among indigenous people in term of utilizing their customary land in this zone. Moreover, this research suggest the best practical way to evaluate deforestation occurrence in KMNP area followed by specific recommendation of each land use zonation of KMNP.