Customary forest designation policy a realization of sustainable development goal achievements in Indonesia (study of indigenous peoples in Lebak regency Banten)

Abstract

Indigenous peoples’ success in preserving their natural environment has been tested and verified throughout generations and achieved without any prohibition against the community to take advantage of the environment as a source of livelihood. Supporting indigenous peoples to control, sustainably manage, and derive benefits from forests can go a long way in solving the problems of climate change, loss of biodiversity and culture, and food insecurity. This study seeks to place the Constitutional Court Decision No. 35/PUU-X/2012 as a policy basis for establishing customary forests as an environmental protection and preservation effort by taking into account the rights and roles of indigenous peoples and local communities through the application of traditional knowledge values and local wisdom to achieve Indonesia’s Sustainable Development Goals in managing forests. This study uses a normative juridical approach with qualitative data analysis to provide an overview of the recognition and designation of customary forests. The results showed that the process of establishing customary forests is a form of recognition and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples which has been started by including customary forests in the design of forest management in Indonesia, which is carried out without changing the function of the forest.