Study of the roles and strategies of NGOs in land-use planning Indonesia

Context of the service

The project "Collaborative land use planning and sustainable institutional arrangement for strengthening land tenure, forest and community rights" (CoLUPSIA) is funded by the European Commission and implemented by the International Center for Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia between 2010 and 2014.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to reducing deforestation and environmental degradation by testing new financing mechanisms such as Payment for Environmental Services (PES) or REDD+ approaches. The project therefore focuses on issues of land use planning and natural resource management.

A study on the involvement of civil society in land use planning processes and natural resource management in West Kalimantan was commissioned. This study was intended to highlight the existing balance of power between civil society, the private sector and the State on land and environmental issues in a context of oil palm expansion.

Services provided

The expert conducted his study at CIFOR in Bogor. He first carried out an in-depth literature review and prepared the field phase. He then travelled to the West Kalimantan region for a period of three months, during which he conducted field visits and 64 semi-structured interviews with local government officials, NGO members and representatives of local communities. He then processed and analyzed the data collected to write a report published by CIFOR: Working Paper No. 147.

In particular, the expert analysed the following elements:

- Land use planning process, at the regional (Kalimantan Barat) and provincial (Kapuas Hulu, Kalimantan Barat) levels;

- Indigenous and civil society demands for recognition of customary land rights (Hutan Adat) in Kapuas Hulu;

- Community forestry project (Hutan desa) led by an international NGO in Kapuas Hulu.

Summary of the service

Study of the roles and strategies of NGOs in land use planning, particularly for oil palm plantations, in the framework of the CoLUPSIA project: In-depth literature review; Field mission to West Kalimantan and semi-structured interviews (officials, NGOs, local communities); Analyses of the issues in terms of land use planning at the regional and provincial levels, recognition of customary land rights, promotion of community forestry.