Forest Village Community Empowerment through Multi-stake holder Partnership Program to form Sustainable Green Forests and Disaster Preparedness in Garut

Abstract

The conversion of protected forest areas into horticultural crops occurs rapidly and massively in the upstream areas. This causes environmental damage, environmental pollution, and prone to natural disasters, such as landslide floods and forest fires. Along with the declining carrying capacity of the forest resources, a comprehensive, participatory, and sustainable forest management system with a partnership approach, economic development, environmental sustainability, and stake holder involvement is required. Multi-stake holder Forest Management is one alternative in reducing both forest area conversion and risk of natural disaster. Integrated programs are initiated from the inventory of natural and forest resources, mapping the forest villagers’ socio-economic conditions, joint planning of forest area management by involving stake holders, implementing community-based environmental awareness raising program, implementing rehabilitation and conservation in critical lands through transfer commodities and location. The technical and social assistance, and jointly-periodically monitoring and evaluation are also implemented as well. These programs have been executed to restore the function of forest area into sustainable forest and disaster alert.