Strategic Stakeholder Engagement in APL Forest Management

The Kalfor project addresses the Management of Kalimantan's APL (Non-State-Owned Forest Area) forests, threatened by conversion to palm oil plantations. With jurisdiction over these lands contested among various ministries and no specific legislation for their protection, Kalfor recognized the need for wide stakeholder engagement. This approach involves educating and building consensus among government agencies, local communities, private sector, and academia about the ecological and economic benefits of conserving APL forests. 

Key to this process has been a multi-stakeholder consultation approach, involving diverse groups from government, private sector, civil society, and academia in the development of new regulations. Flexibility in strategy, adapting to political changes, and leveraging local initiatives based on stakeholder interests have been crucial. In Central Kalimantan, for example, Kalfor's adaptable approach facilitated the endorsement of two Governor Decrees for forest conservation. 

Kalfor's experience highlights the importance of building strong, wide stakeholder ownership and commitment at all levels. While the project has surpassed its goal of legally protecting over 644,374 ha of APL forest, challenges remain. Pursuing strategic conservation, especially prioritizing high conservation value forests and ensuring their intactness, is still an ongoing task. At the village level, integrating APL forest management into local development plans has proven effective in aligning conservation with community economic and cultural goals. The project demonstrates that in a complex political, economic, and legal landscape, fostering stakeholder engagement and adaptability is key to successful forest conservation.

- UNDP Indonesia_KALFOR
Strategic Stakeholder Engagement in APL Forest Management
Quality Data for APL Forest Protection
Sustainable Alternative Revenue from APL Forests
- UNDP Indonesia_KALFOR
Strategic Stakeholder Engagement in APL Forest Management
Quality Data for APL Forest Protection
Sustainable Alternative Revenue from APL Forests
- UNDP Indonesia_KALFOR
Strategic Stakeholder Engagement in APL Forest Management
Quality Data for APL Forest Protection
Sustainable Alternative Revenue from APL Forests
Financial sustainability assessment

The purpose of this block is to propose financial mechanisms to sustain ghost fishing gear surveillance and improve fishers' compliance with the management agreement. This is an economic analysis that helps to build a shared view of how the problem could be managed, how much that would cost in a certain period, and which funding options are available to the community, including potential income generation from the upcycling of ghost fishing gear and other marine debris.

  • The existence of active local groups in areas other than diving, like communication, recycling, and tourism. They can play a role in the functioning of the ghost fishing strategy.
  • It is important to approach a variety of potential allies in the public and private sectors to increase the chances of finding adequate support and commitment from stakeholders.
Ecological and social-ecological impact assessment

The purpose of this building block is to identify the impacts of ghost fishing both on the ecosystems and the people.

 

Rapid ecological assessments are used to establish a baseline of the impacts observed in two ecosystems: mangroves and rocky reefs, identified as key conservation priorities in the management plan of the regional protected area.

 

The social-ecological aspects of the problem require more time for data collection. Surveys of perception, in-depth interviews, and workshops are used to obtain information from the fishing and diving community about how the problem is happening in the area and its social and economic implications. The goal is to gain a deep understanding of the situations that lead to fishing gear abandonment, loss, or discard.

  • Community groups and individuals provide information, participate in data collection, and motivate others to participate.
  • The data collection team spends enough time on data collection and triangulation of results.
  • There is trust between the data collection team and the community, and the prior informed consent that protects personal information is discussed and observed.

Rapid ecological assessments done by external experts must include:

  • enough time for data collection
  • time and commitment to return information to the community and participants
Capacity building in scuba diving for coastal communities

The purpose is to improve the local capacity to safely remove ghost fishing gear from the sea. The existence of a permanent diving center in the area is mandatory to provide security during all aquatic activities of the training and cleaning campaigns.

  • Social cohesion and environmental awareness in the local community.
  • A good relationship between the diving center and the native community.
  • Transparent communication with community leaders along the implementation process.

The response of the diving team should be rapid because currents change direction and can release and move the entangled fishing gear again. If the clean-up is delayed, the risk of not finding the gear increases.

 

Clear roles and efforts distribution among the diving and the on-land support team is essential to obtain the desired results and to communicate achievements back to the community, partners, and local authorities.