Policy brief

Establishing Collaborative Management for Batu Ampar’sMangrove Forest

Vol. 1/2014

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Mangroves forests located in the Batu Ampar sub-district are

the largest in West Kalimantan. These mangroves forests are

threatened by destruction. A central and regional policy that

enables protection, production and participation is needed to

maintain and protect these forests.

To date, many actors have been involved in the management

of Batu Ampar’s mangroves forests. The central and regional

government have established a mangroves management pol-

icy for Batu Ampar. This legislation about mangrove forests

has been interpreted in various different ways resulting in a

gap between regulation and practise. There is also competi-

tion between companies and local communities related to use

of mangroves forests. Companies are issued business permits

for timber forest product exploitation in nature forest

(IUPHHK-HA) by the Ministry of Forestry, while many com-

munities use forests for producing traditional charcoal. All of

this contributes to reductions in the quality of forest cover in

Batu Ampar’s mangroves forests.

This study supports a community based forest management

approach for Batu Ampar’s mangroves forests. The Ministry

of Forestry has released several community based forest

management policy options. One of the options that has been

tried by the Kubu Raya regional government is to issue com-

munity plantation forest (HTR) permits. The unclear bounda-

ries over protection and production forest in Batu Ampar

make it difficult to know when HTR can be used as an option.

There is also a difference in perception between companies

and communities in relation to the boundaries of the protec-

tion forest zone. A company holding an IUPHHK-HA permit,

for example, has declared forests within their concession to

be protection forest area to limit local people from accessing

the area. Interestingly, the community are not able to access

government information on the status of the forest zone.

Other problems in Batu Ampar are the absence of implemen-

tation of integrated mangroves management policies. The Na-

tional Mangroves Ecosystems Management Strategy has not

worked in Batu Ampar. Similarly, the district government ini-

tiative to form a multiparty forum that was outlined in the

Regional Mangroves Working Group has not developed.

Observing the real problems that occur with mangroves eco-

systems and inter-actor relations, this study recommends

setting up a collaborative policy for mangroves forest man-

agement. To achieve this objective, revitalising the Regional

Mangroves Working Group is a potential entry point. We be-

lieve that the working group must promote a community

based forest management approach with the principles of

good forest and land governance. This means that transpar-

ency, participation, accountability, coordination and capacity

should be the central principles for all parties involved in the

working group.

Revitalising the Regional

Mangroves Working

Group (KKMD) is an entry

point for establishing

collaborative, community

based mangroves

management.

Executive Summary

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Mangroves forests in Indonesia make up 59.8% of all man-

groves in South East Asia, thus constituting the largest ex-

panse of mangroves forests in the region (Geisen et al,

2006:2). The results of a mangroves area mapping exercise by

Bakosutarnal in 2009 indicates that the West Kalimantan

mangroves are a total of 149,344 hectares, the fifth largest

area after Papua, East Kalimantan, Riau and South Sumatra

(www.indonesiawetlands.org).

The widest area of mangroves in West Kalimantan are in

Kupu Raya; home to 66% of all the provinces’ mangroves for-

ests. The largest area of mangroves in Kubu Raya are in the

sub-district of Batu Ampar. The results of a mapping exercise

by the Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB) states that Batu Am-

par’s mangroves forests are 65,585 hectares in total, consist-

ing of 33,402 hectares of protection forests and 32,183 hec-

tares of production forests (Subchi et al 2012). The Batu Am-

par mangroves forests are located in estuaries and water

ways of the Kapuas River. These forests are dominated by

Rhizophora apiculate, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, and Xylocarups

granatum tree species.

Based on the Ministry of Forestry decree No. 936/Menhut-

II/2013 (see image 2), the designation of the forest zone in

the Batu Ampar village consists of protection forest (HL), lim-

ited production forests (HPT), production forest that can be

converted (HPT) and area for other uses (APL). The protec-

tion forest consists of an area of 8,551 hectares in the Kera-

wan valley, in Kubu Raya district, West Kalimantan, that was

established through Ministry of Forestry decree No. 127/

Menhut-II/2013 about the designation of four integrated pro-

tection forest zones.

The older citizens of the Batu Ampar village tell how they

once hunted fish, crabs and shrimp along the Kapuas River

that flowed past their village. The communities also used

mangroves timber to produce charcoal. When Japan settled

Indonesia, mangroves forests were opened by communities to

harvest timber for making charcoal. At first only a few people

produced charcoal. Now charcoal production is increasing,

resulting in it being harder to find fish, crabs, and shrimp. The

community suspects that the reductions in fish, crab and

shrimp populations are the result of the loss of mangroves

ecosystems in the area.

External parties also use Batu Ampar village’s natural re-

sources. A number of forest permits operate in this area. In

the production forest area, the Ministry of Forestry issued

IUUPHK-HA permits to several companies. One of these com-

panies that is currently operating is Bios Ltd. This company

received permits for 10,100 hectares of land, valid until 2021.

Bios Ltd uses the mangroves forests as raw material to supply

the pulp industry.

The community critiqued the presence of Bios Ltd for their

destruction of Batu Ampar’s mangroves forests, by using a

logging approach that causes land clearing. The community

reversely uses a selective logging approach for using man-

groves timber. The community only cuts trees that are more

than 20 centimetres in diameter.

Based on our observations, Bios Ltd’s logging methods are

causing large-scale perturbation about the diminishing qual-

ity of mangroves forests. To add to the problem, reforestation

in the former Bios Ltd logging sites has changed mangrove

forests ecosystems, as the dominant species (99%) are X.

Granatum trees. X. Granatum tree roots are not good habitat

for shrimp larvae, fish and crabs. Large-scale logging of man-

groves forests is causing a shift in species in mangroves trees

from the R. Apiculata to X. Garanatum. These changes have

caused mangroves forests in Batu Ampar to lose one of the

ecosystems, which are feeding grounds and nursery habitat

for shrimp larvae, fish and crabs. Reversely, small scale log-

ging of mangroves forests, around 0.25 hectares, does not al-

ter mangroves forest species ecosystems.

Small-scale logging can protect the biodiversity of mangrovesforests in Batu Ampar. Bios Ltd does not only log but alsodoes reforestation of mangroves areas. Based on our observa-tion however, mangroves that are planted by Bios Ltd areonly a single species; rizhopora. In several of Bios Ltd formerlogging sites, the mangroves that are growing tend to be onlyNyirih tree species. This has changed the structure and com-position of mangroves’ biodiversity and resulted in a largeecological gap.

The Batu Ampar’s mangrove forest: Status and condition

Image 1. Batu Ampar residents and a researcher examine the status ofmangroves forests in Batu Ampar (October, 2013).

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Policy gap, perceptions and practices with

mangroves forest management

Presidential regulation No. 73/2012 about the National Strat-

egy for Mangroves Management is a guideline for the central

government, the regional government, business and commu-

nities in mangroves management in Indonesia. One of the ac-

tions to implement the National Strategy for Mangroves Man-

agement was to form a Regional Mangroves Working Group,

which was started in 2012, however in reality it has not been

active.

Integrated mangroves forest management in Batu Ampar was

a decision by the Forestry Agency in partnership with Bogor-

based NGO LPP Mangroves. As with the Regional Mangroves

Working Group, this initiative has not been successful. Man-

groves forest management policies have not yet been imple-

mented effectively, and policies that allow for mangroves ex-

ploitation continue, demonstrated by the logging operations

of IUPHHK-HA holders. Communities that use mangroves and

that depend on mangroves ecosystems have not yet obtained

legal protection. The perception of actions towards the exis-

tence of mangroves forests differs. One of the problems is the

perception of the limited function of the forest system in Batu

Ampar. As mentioned in previous sections, the Ministry of

Forestry issued decree No.127/Menhut-II/2013 about desig-

nating the four integrated conservation forest zones in the

Kerawan valley in the Kubu Raya district, in West Kalimantan.

Neither the communities nor the Kubu Raya district govern-

ment knows the boundaries of the protection forest. For both

sides, information about the limitations of the protection for-

est system is important as it has implications for the limita-

tions of community access for the area. This contrasts with

the Kubu Raya Forestry Agency that wants to encourage the

issuing of Community Plantation Forests (HTR) for communi-

ties. In line with regulations for forestry regulations, permits

are only given for production forest use.

In the midst of this community and regional government con-

fusion over forest boundaries, Bios Ltd put up a signpost writ-

ten ‘Protection Forest’ in the surrounding area. The company

said that they are obligated to separate 43% of the area for

conservation purposes. However, the company cannot clarify

if the area marked with a Protection Forest sign is a part of

their concession area or not. The community are not sure

whether the area is state protection forest or a company pro-

tection forest.

Urgency for a community based forest

management approach

Involving communities in forest management (known as com-

munity based forest management; CBFM) has become a policy

of the Ministry of Forestry. This encompasses all community

empowerment approaches such as community plantation for-

estry (HTR), community forestry, and village forestry. This

study recommends that a collaborative approach that puts

the community as actors to protect rights, institutions and

forest management practices is needed for mangrove forest

management in Batu Ampar.

CBFM approaches for mangroves forests need to fulfil the fol-

lowing governance aspects:

1. Recognition of local community mangroves forest manage-

ment practices through the formation of village regulations.

2. Government policies for involving local communities in

mangroves forest management.

Image 2. A map indicating where the forest zone has changed to become non-forest zone as well as changes to the function of the forest zone;and changes to the non-forest zone areas that have become forest zone area in West Kalimantan(Source: Ministry of Forestry decree No. 936/Menhut-II/2013).

Function of the forestzone before changes

Natural Forest Zone (KSA/KPA)

Protection Forest (HL)

Limited Production Forest(HPT)

Production Forest (HP)

Production Forest forconversion (HPK)

Area for other uses (APL)

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3. Forest resource management that involves various inter-

ested stakeholders.

4. Mangroves forest management that has environmental,

economic, and social cultural links.

Taking a CBFM approach can provide double profits. First, ac-

commodating the aspirations of communities in mangroves

management benefit communities and make for easier man-

agement. The second benefit is that it shares responsibilities

with communities for mangroves protection. It also offers im-

portant benefits to community welfare. Doing this requires

the involvement of many different parties to discuss issues of

control and access to mangroves. Companies will benefit as

the sustainability of their raw materials will be secured. One

potential disadvantage for companies is losses from not being

able to do forest clearing as they had previously.

There have been attempts to establish CBFM since LPP Man-

groves started in 2003. However this stopped when there

were changes in administration and funds for the support

program were discontinued. There is potential for starting up

a CBFM model in the village with funding support and com-

mitment from all parties.

Summary

Management practices, overseeing, ownership and use of

mangroves forests in Batu Ampar – specifically and gener-

ally in the Kubu Raya district – experience dynamic move-

ment as a result of direct economic, social cultural and po-

litical interventions.

Several actors are involved in mangroves forests manage-

ment, these are communities, non-government organisa-

tions, local government (village, district and provincial),

central government and companies. Each actor has differ-

ent levels of involvement at different intensities.

The Indonesian government has strengthened its commit-

ment to managing mangroves. This is demonstrated by the

issuing of the Presidential Instruction No. 73/2012 about

the National Mangroves Ecosystem Management Strategy.

This regulation forms a guideline and basis for the central

and regional government, businesses and communities in

Indonesia’s mangroves management. Yet many gaps re-

main between the legal regulation and the reality of man-

groves management.

Recommendations

This study indicates that there are various interests that im-

pact on mangroves management in Batu Ampar. For this a

sustainable management system is needed that involves all

parties (collaborative mangroves management). Specifically,

we recommend that:

Local communities practice sustainable mangroves man-

agement. To do this, alternative income resources besides

traditional charcoal industry need to be developed.

The Kubu Raya district government needs to develop a col-

laborative CBFM model for Batu Ampar mangroves forests.

In implementation, the district government needs to con-

sider good governance principles including transparency,

participation, accountability, coordination and law enforce-

ment. The first step for implementing this collaborative

management is to start a Regional Mangroves Working

Group.

To provide a strong legal basis for collaborative manage-

ment, we recommend forming a regional or a village regu-

lation for mangroves management in Batu Ampar.

The central government needs to facilitate the implementa-

tion of the National Mangroves Ecosystem Management

Strategy in West Kalimantan, specifically for the Kubu Raya

district. Central government support is needed to support

this management strategy in Kubu Raya.

The government, specifically the Ministry of Forestry,

needs to ensure that permit holders using protection forest

based on the same ecological standards, and to ensure

mangroves forests are regenerated with the correct species

types.

NGOs need to support and encourage CBFM for mangroves

management in Batu Ampar.

Researchers:

- P.M. Laksono - Tjut S. Johan - Sumijati A.S.

- Suhardi - Irham - A. Supriyanto

- H. Gusti Zulkifli Mulki - Esti Anantasari - Chatarina P. Istiyani

- Jajang A. Sonjaya - Almira Rianty - Ruddy Gustave

- Puspita Kusuma - Angga N. Utama - Rinto

Cover Photo:

Mangroves roots in the Kubu Raya district.

Photo by the research team.

This policy brief was published by the PSAP

UGM, Perkumpulan Pena and Konphalindo

with support by the Asia Foundation, and

the UK Climate Change Unit with assistance

from Epistema Institute.

The opinions and findings expressed in this

policy brief are those of the researchers

involved and do not reflect those of the Asia

Foundation, UKCCU or Epistema Institute.

Supported by: Funded by: