The Site:
Sumberjaya is a sub-district in the Bukit Barisan mountain range. These mountains span the west coast of Sumatra and form the upper watersheds of all major rivers on the island. The 55,000 hectare sub-district almost coincides with the Way Besay upper watershed at between 720 and 1900 meters.
The population was approximately 87,350 people in 2004, with a density of about 161 people/km2. At least 40 percent of the sub-district is classified as “protection forest” and 10 percent as National Park. Nevertheless, coffee gardens now cover around 70 percent of the total area. The Way Besay watershed feeds the Tulang Bawang River (one of Lampung Province’s three major rivers) and also supplies a hydroelectric run-off dam owned by PLTA Way Besay. Electricity generation started in 2001 with a maximum capacity of 90 MW.
The Issues:
Government’s belief that uncontrolled deforestation and conversion to coffee on the slopping land in Sumberjaya had led to a serious increase of erosion threatening the operation of the newly constructed Way Besai hydropower dam and reducing water availability for irrigated paddy rice downstream resulted in the eviction of thousands of farmers from Sumberjaya forests between 1991 to 1996.
On the contrary, studies by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) since 1998 in the area show that that multistrata coffee farms provide a livelihood to people and also control erosion in a way similar to that of natural forest.
Coffee farming and forest protection should not be placed as two opposite practices.
The Rewards:
Community Forestry Program (HKm)
Since 2004, RUPES Program provides support to local communities to gain access to the Indonesian Government’s Community Forestry Program (HKm). HKm program provides farmers conditional land tenure to cultivate protection forest. In exchange, farmers adopt environmentally friendly farming practices and protect the remaining natural forest, thus ensuring that the land will continue producing watershed protection benefits. HKm program has currently covered 70 percent of Sumberjaya’s protection forest, involved nearly 6,400 farmers and accounted for 13,000 hectares.
RUPES Program interprets HKm program as a form of rewards for farmers who provide environmental services. HKm represents a major success for farmers, who are no longer at risk of eviction.
A recent impact study of land tenure in Sumberjaya carried out by researches of RUPES, Michigan State University, and the International Food Policy Research found the community forestry permits:
• increased land tenure security;
• doubled the local land value;
• reduced corruption;
• increased income, mostly due to a reduction in bribes;
• increased equity, relative to the in-village resources farmers have;
• promoted tree planting/agroforestry;
• promoted soil and water conservation; and
• gave farmers good reasons to protect the remaining natural forest.
River Care Program
Way Besay hydroelectric company (PLTA) in Sumberjaya would need up to USD 1 million a year to clean sediment from their reservoir. A huge amount of money that may not be necessary if they can keep sediment from reaching their reservoir in the first place!
RUPES Program set up a pilot project with one community and one sub-catchment area to develop a mechanism of payment for reducing sediment through the “RiverCare” program. During the program, RiverCare members worked with RUPES to learn principles related to water conservation, including sediment reduction. Check dams were constructed and maintained, and drainage along pathways and terraces were built. RUPES Program helped with the technical sediment monitoring and calculation.
Conditionality is the main principle in this initiative. During the commitment period, RiverCare group will receive US$ 1,000 for a reduction of 30 percent or more, US$ 700 for a 20 to 30 percent reduction, US$ 500 for a 10 to 20 percent reduction, and US$ 250 for a less than 10 percent reduction.
By the end of the commitment, RiverCare should have a proven product to offer the hydroelectricity company, one that can not only improve the environment, but also lessen the electricity crisis while enhancing community welfare, and that can assess the watershed conservation impacts through monitoring.
Site Partners:
List of all government agencies, NGOs, universities, etc. working with RUPES
If possible with name and email contact
Contact:
Name: Mr. Rahman Pasha
Email: r.pasha@cgiar.org
Mobile: 08127219892
References:
(list of all publication related to Sumberjaya)
Links:
(list of all links related to Sumberjaya)