The World Bank/WBI’s CBNRM Initiative

Case Received: February 17, 1998

Authors: Nenny R. Babo and Jeffery W. Froehlich

Tel: +1 505 277 4811 / 344 5671

Fax: +1 505 277 0874

Email: jfroehl@unm.edu

This paper will discuss mangrove forest rehabilitation in East Sinjai, South Sulawesi, Republic of Indonesia (120 16 E, 5 9 S). This case study of community-based forest recovery shows that local institutional initiatives are very effective compared with programs developed elsewhere by the Forestry Department of Indonesia. The mangrove forest rehabilitation project in East Sinjai was based on a local group named the ACT for Aku Cinta Indonesia, or I love Indonesia. This group coordinated rehabilitation with other community institutions in the area. The end result is the development of mangrove forests for ecotourism and agroforesty, using the empang parit or drainage ditch pattern, and increasing the income and welfare of the poor.

The first author is involved as a disseminator. She founded the Sulawesi Natural Resource Conservation Information Center (PIPAS) in Ujung Pandang, South Sulawesi, in 1992, following the Bidadari US-Indonesia Conservation Summit. Serving all aspects of the environment in the four provinces of Sulawesi Island, PIPAS promotes the development of sustainable resources, local handicrafts, ecotourism, and awareness programs. A newsletter is published in two languages. Current projects include rural community ecotourism facilities for observing wild monkeys and other endemic Sulawesi fauna, for the enhancement of the local economy, and for the education of city folks, as well as foreign tourists.

The main problem for mangrove forests in Indonesia is their degradation by conversion to fish or shrimp farms, known locally as tambak. Mangrove forests are also over-exploited for firewood, house construction, and making fishery tools. As an indication of the severity of the problem, the mangrove forests in South Sulawesi have been reduced by 65%, from 113,000 ha to 39,000 ha. As we all know, the mangrove forest is a unique ecosystem that is very sensitive to disturbance; yet it is also is a potential natural resource.

The government of Indonesia, through regional forestry officials, has attempted some conservation and rehabilitation efforts, but with success as low as 15 to 40%. The reasons for such low success rates include such factors as:

     1. less control after replanting,

     2. poor quality of seed,

     3. site unsuitable for species planted,

     4. lack of community involvement.

The first three factors are not very serious; technical problems can be solved. However, the last factor is outside the control of the rehabilitation program implementor.

Some studies have shown that a local community role is essential in mangrove forest management. The local community is in a very strategic position to coordinate and guard implementation. Community development is oriented to real local needs.

The East Sinjai area is classified as a coastal plain, with a slope of less than 2%. The study area is comprised of alluvial plain, swamp, coast, and delta. The rivers that flow through East Sinjai are the Baringan, Baroko, Bua, Sinjai, and Tongke, all emptying into the Gulf of Bone.

The coastal pattern is one in which more energy is generated by runoff from the Mt. Lompobatang watershed than by the ocean (see map). Consequently, river sedimentation continues to extend the coastline. Sediments consist of sand, black soil, and clay. This sedimentation is supported by mangrove vegetation that functions to protect the coast from erosion and salt water intrusion. Mangroves also support other biodiversity resources -- both terrestrial and aquatic -- which are important to human life in a social, political, and economic context, especially in developing a rural contribution to the national economy.

Like any other coastal area in South Sulawesi, communities have completely exploited the local resources, both on land and sea. In Sinjai the people are motly fishermen or tambak workers. Tambak siviculture has clear cut the mangroves since the 1930s. With other forest uses mentioned above, over exploitation has resulted in destruction of both the land and tambak by big waves. In the 1980s houses were flooded by salt water, and garden land was degraded. Consequently, some communities have initiated mangrove (Rizophora mucronata) plantings since 1985.

As noted above, there has been success in local management of mangrove forests, as reflected in high productivity and continued replanting. High productivity can be seen in the products that give advantages to the community. In turn, the community is taking care of the natural resources and environment in the area.

This success is based on the group institutional model used in Sinjai. At first, only one person attempted mangrove planting, but in 1985 the first ACT group was started. By 1997 there were five local groups. Each is led by a chairman who is responsible to the group. All five are led by Mr. Tayeb, who received a Kalpataru Award from the government in 1996 for his role in saving the environment.

By using an Esman framework (1986), mangrove forest management based on local groups can be reviewed according to the following variables: leadership, doctrine, programs, resources (financial and technological), and intern structure. The leadership is drawn from a subgroup of active people involved in doctrine and program.

Leadership is the most essential factor within this institutional model because the process of change must have direct, intensive, and skillful management. Leadership from a local, informal leader influences the involvement of the community, by leading in a charismatic style with strong belief and by example. Decision making is based on family ties and inspiration of group members. From an informal local leader, most of the community is self-motivated to do conservation. However, only a few are motivated by the government instructions of most projects in Indonesia.

Doctrine relates to specifications from past norms to objectives where people do mangrove conservation based on: (1) need for coastal protection, (2) sustainable products for firewood and construction, (3) income generation, and (4) creation of new land. The doctrine becomes the theme and hope of the community to reach these objectives.

The main program of these local groups is planting mangrove seedlings from September to December, when wave action is minimal. The seed supply comes from local, ten year old trees. The seedlings are mature when they are 45 to 70 cm long. They are kept under the houses and covered with fabric, to reduce the smell and the attraction of crabs that eat them. The seedlings are planted 50 cm apart. This program is funded locally using technology developed by trial and error experiments. In 1987, local mangrove productivity began to increase, attracting agency support with useful technical information for the group. Success in one group led to others by example.

Theoretically, local conservation groups mutually depend on other community institutions. The groups maintain networks for exchange and transaction to obtain support to rehabilitate natural resources and replace the norm. These relationships can be analyzed in relation to three factors.

First is enabling organizations. These are social or political groups that control the authority and resources needed for mangrove conservation groups to operate. The local government agency (in this case the Foresty Department) is a major enabler for mangrove rehabilitation. This led to regulation No. 5 in 1990, based on Ministry of Foresty decision paper No. 036/Kpt-II/1984, and SKE Ministry of Foresty, 1989.

Second are functional relationships. These are organizations that run services and function in the development and promotion of suggestions from the conservation group. These include the local womens group (PKK), youth group (Karangtaruna), agricultural extension, Fisheries Department, local government, district head, planning department, research institutions, and the Information Center.

The third factor is related to spreading the program to elements of the community that can not clearly be identified by membership in formal organizations. For mangrove conservation, this involved elements of the community such as fisheries, both coastal and in drainage systems, and fishing groups around the mangrove forest conservation area.

From this institutional analysis, it is shown that successful mangrove rehabilitation is based on an informal, charismatic leadership role that can influence and lead the local community, by acting as an example of feelings and results. This leadership pattern can motivate the group so that the program can be a success. Also, the conservation groups relationships with other community institutions results in enabling, functional support, and dissemination, making it more intense and dynamic.

Mangrove forest rehabilitation in East Sinjai has achieved 700 ha for potential welfare of the community. Programs that can increase community income in relation to mangroves include ecotourism and agroforesty. For ecotourism there is the opportunity to provide guest houses, home stays, and handicrafts for visitors. In agroforestry they are using the mangroves for aqua culture, or as they call it, Empang Parit. It is our hope that this case can be used in other parts of the world, to increase the benefits for poor people.