Abstract
The challenge of integrating ecological, economic and social aspects of forest management is still a critical issue among stakeholders who agree on community-based forestry and the rights of indigenous peoples. In West Papua, the contrast of abundant natural resources with serious social inequalities and structured poverty is a continuing challenge for implementing a social forestry program. The process of establishing customary territories in West Papua is an important milestone in recognising its community entities. Is this scheme definitively able to answer the interests of access and management of indigenous peoples? This can help in achieving the sacred goal of protecting 70% of the forest area. This paper examines the dynamics of forest management in West Papua by the parties in customary forests. The low area designated for customary territories in West Papua, which has only reached 2,554.2 hectares, and the absence of a decree on the existence of customary forests is a form of injustice to the interests of local communities. The social forestry acceleration program intended to end the uncertainty surrounding customary forests is still in process. The roles of both on-site and off-site parties have not been optimal in realising customary forests in West Papua due to the complex and incomplete translation process at the site level. The results of the review show that interest is still focused on achieving an indicative-annual figure, which is still dominated by the village forest scheme. Hopefully, this year's acceleration of customary forests will become a milestone in West Papua, based on mutual need and desire.
Highlights
The United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development (UNCED) popularised a discourse that emphasises civil society participation in the management of natural resources (Maryudi, 2015)
Global environmental issues related to sustainable forest management and climate change are inextricably linked with the existence and engagement of local communities
The social forestry program is a manifestation of the state's interest in accommodating the interests and involvement of local communities in forest management
Summary
The United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development (UNCED) popularised a discourse that emphasises civil society participation in the management of natural resources (Maryudi, 2015). In the context of adaptive forest management, which is an approach to simultaneously manage and learn about natural resources by adjusting to the dynamics of social and ecological systems and the interactions between them (Boo and Wiersum, 2011), stakeholder engagement means bringing all parties together in learning to deal with complexity. Data from the Indonesian Center for Statistics from 2011-2018 shows that the Provinces of Papua and West Papua consistently show the highest poverty rates in Indonesia This fact gained serious attention from the Joko Widodo administration, which issued Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 9 of 2017 concerning the acceleration of welfare development in Papua and West Papua Provinces (Tanah Papua). Linking the needs and desires of the central and regional governments related to top-down customary community-based forest management still raises many fundamental questions related to policies that have been implemented to date Have they answered the basic needs themselves? Have they answered the basic needs themselves? This perspective is discussed below to determine the future prospects for developing customary forests in West Papua
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