Poor science meets political neglect: Land use changes of high conservation value forests in Indonesia

Sigit Hardwinarto,Muhammad Haidar Daulay,Arnanto Nurprabowo,Ahmad Maryudi,San Afri Awang,Budi Dharmawan

doi:10.24259/fs.v5i2.13451

Sigit Hardwinarto, Muhammad Haidar Daulay + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.24259/fs.v5i2.13451

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Abstract

Forest land allocation and use in Indonesia have been politically contested and characterized by poor data and competing interests of different institutions. This study analyzes the process of integrating scientific findings in policymaking about land use and changes. The focus is on the processes related to the changes of Highly Important Forest Zones with Strategic Values (Dampak Penting Cakupan Luas dan bernilai Strategis/DPCLS). DPCLS forests are unique as any changes require approval from the parliament to complement the processes at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and must be based on rigorous scientific evaluation. This study uses the case of Riau Islands (Kepri) Province, previously part of Riau Province, which to date is one of only two Indonesian provinces yet to accept the forest zonings of the Ministry. The province’s strategic positions as exclusive economic and free trade zones make it further interesting in terms of land allocation as land becomes increasingly valuable for other uses. This paper specifically asks how the scientific investigation on the potential land use changes were conducted, how reliable the discoveries are, and how they were utilized in multiple steps at different institutions from the proposal evaluations to the approval stages. Our research indicates that scientific findings have rarely been integrated in policy making regarding DPCLS forests in Kepri Province. In addition, the scientific findings are weak; the institution producing them is heavily dominated by government officials and paid consultants/ experts. The scientific body was only established to fulfill the formal processes required by the regulatory frameworks. Proposals and decisions on the changes of DPCLS forests in Kepri Province are more characterized by political considerations. The “scientific findings” of the current land use in Kepri Province is used as a political commodity (or commodities) to support the interests of actors.

Highlights

The allocation, use, and management of forests in Indonesia have long been politically contested and are characterized by overlapping and even competing institutions and regulatory frameworks (Brockhaus et al, 2012; Myers et al, 2017)
We further find that proposals and decisions on the changes of DPCLS forests in Kepri Province are characterized by political considerations
We aimed to describe the underlying factors of the long delay in the approval of DPCLS forest changes; how scientific knowledge, which was expected to be the foundation of the political decisions, was produced; how it was integrated in policymaking; and whether it was utilized

Summary

Introduction

The allocation, use, and management of forests in Indonesia have long been politically contested and are characterized by overlapping and even competing institutions and regulatory frameworks (Brockhaus et al, 2012; Myers et al, 2017). The forest administration has been shaped by dual regimes, that is, forestland and non-forestland (Sahide and Giessen, 2015). The government of Indonesia has gazetted approximately 120 million hectares or approximately two thirds of the country’s land as state forest zones that are allocated into three main functions: production, protection, and conservation. Forests have been gazetted as permanent zones, the legal frameworks allow changes of forest status to respond to the increasing land demands for non-forest uses, such as plantation, agriculture, industrial, and residential sites (Sahide et al, 2018).

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