Delivering Benefits from State Forest: Lesson from Partnership of Nature-Based Tourism Development in KPH Yogyakarta

Abstract

While many studies have examined Forest Management Unit or Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan (KPH) management in Indonesia, studies that focused on specific partnership policies in developing nature-based tourism in KPH remain understudied. This study offered a case of partnership in nature-based tourism development in the Mangunan area, KPH Yogyakarta, Indonesia. To understand to what degree the partnership benefits locals and forest areas, a triangulationapproach includes secondary data collection, interviews, and field observations were employed. In the case considered, it is evident that the deliberative policies of KPH Yogyakarta foster social innovations in nature-based tourism development and serve the pathway in delivering simultaneous benefits for locals and forest areas. In drawing its conclusion, the study highlights that the nature-based tourism development in the Mangunan area has fostered locals’ roles in managing state-forest areas by which they generate numerous benefits. Furthermore, this study provides valuable insights that would allow us to better grasp the positive impacts of innovative policies in managing KPH.Keywords: forest management unit, nature-based tourism, social forestry