Forest and Land

Forests and land are vital resources for environmental balance and biodiversity, as well as sources of livelihood for local communities. Forests serve as carbon sinks, regulate water systems, and provide habitats for flora and fauna, while land supports various community economic activities.

Amidst the threats of deforestation, degradation, and land-use conversion, social forestry has emerged as a strategy for sustainable forest management. By granting local communities legal access, management balances ecological, economic, and social aspects—for instance, through agroforestry, the utilization of non-timber forest products, and environmental conservation activities.

Challenges

Deforestation, unclear forest access and legality, limited community management capacity, and persistent market and business capital constraints. Conflicts of interest and economic pressures drive overexploitation.

Solutions

Social forestry is supported by strengthening legal certainty through Decrees (SK), increasing community capacity through training and mentoring, participatory conflict resolution, expanding market access and partnerships, and developing sustainable forest-based businesses.

AGROFORESTRY

Agroforestry serves as an approach to social forestry management on peatlands by sustainably integrating forestry species with economically valuable crops. In addition to preserving the ecological functions of peatlands, this practice creates opportunities for communities to develop livelihoods and increase their income while maintaining forest sustainability.

KUPS Linau Jaya Gambut Agroforestry

Liberica Coffee Cultivation (Sungai Linau, Kab Bengkalis)

Within the framework of the Village Forest Social Forestry scheme, the KUPS Linau Jaya Gambut Agroforestry group is working to develop the potential of the Sungai Linau Village Forest through productive and sustainable land use. One of its initiatives involves developing a local coffee commodity by utilizing an area of approximately 10 hectares to plant 10,000 Liberica coffee seedlings. This activity serves as an initial step toward optimizing the Village Forest's land potential, enhancing economic value, and creating livelihood opportunities for the community through coffee-based agroforestry.

How it works

We help ensure equitable and sustainable environmental management, both ecologically, socially, culturally, and economically in rural and surrounding forest areas.

Awareness

Increase public awareness of the potential, problems, and opportunities that exist in their environment in order to appear a sense of belonging and motivation to change.

Pengkapasitasan (Capacity Building)

Provide training, mentoring, and skills improvement so that people have the ability, knowledge, and confidence to manage their potential.

Access and Empowerment / Strengthening

Open access to resources (capital, technology, information, networks) and strengthen local institutions so that people can be independent and empowered in the long term.