While global
awareness of forests' significance has grown, Southeast Asia grapples with
ongoing forest loss. The region has lost approximately 80 million hectares of
forest between 2005 and 2015, with projections indicating further shrinkage or
growth. In the Philippines, the Food and Agricultural Organization estimated
that the country has the second fastest deforestation rate in Southeast Asia
and seventh globally between 2000 and 2005, losing roughly 2.1% of its forest cover annually. The cause
for the loss is human activities like converting forests to farms, using trees
for fuel, illegal logging, and clearing land for mining all contribute to this
rapid decline.
With increasing
numbers of changing and extreme weather patterns due to the climate crisis,
forests will continue to be in a dire state, as there will be potential
decreases in coffee, palm oil, sugar cane, and corn production across Southeast
Asia. In the Philippines, the problem comes with a conundrum, as there is a
risk of a hunger crisis, exacerbated by the pandemic. Therefore, the question is how do we increase the
protection of our forest without impacting our food security.
We have seen
efforts to ensure food security in the form of food estate development.
However, these efforts are mostly done without a sustainability framework or
are designed to meet a short-term goal. For example, Indonesia has been trying
to develop its food estate programs for years to ensure food security; however,
these projects have not had successful outcomes. What’s left now are damaged
forests and peatlands, the latter being fragile ecosystems that can cause an
increase in carbon emissions, forest fires, and transboundary haze.
Apart from
impacting the environment, these approaches also do not have the local
community's interest at hand. Opening up these lands also means relocating some
indigenous communities that have lived on the land for generations. This will
cause more issues in the future, including cultural erosion, economic
disparity, and health impacts.
In this challenging
landscape, WALHI, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, stands as a beacon
of hope. Founded in 1980 and part of the Friends of the Earth International
network since 1989, WALHI is Indonesia’s largest and oldest environmental advocacy
NGO. Committed to promoting resilience and community economics, WALHI’s mission
revolves around restoring environmental rights and empowering local
communities.
“At WALHI, we have
witnessed the success of the Wilayah Kelola Rakyat (WKR) or Community Managed
Area approach in promoting sustainable land management among the communities
that we work with. We firmly believe this approach can be used as a benchmark
for communities across Indonesia and replicated in other Southeast Asian
countries,” said Uli Arta Siagian, WALHI
National Forest and Big Plantation Campaign Manager.
Empowering Community to Make Environment Thrive
At the heart of
WALHI’s work lies the Wilayah Kelola Rakyat (WKR), a community-based area
management that champions sustainable land management. WKR integrates
governance, production, distribution, and consumption processes while
respecting local wisdom and values, ensuring no land conflict between the
communities and other private parties. By empowering communities to manage
their resources, WKR addresses structural poverty and inequality while
defending against extractive industries.
WALHI has also
helped communities, such as the Dayak Meratus, one of the indigenous
communities in Borneo, to continue their swidden farming practice. While the
practice is focused on the slash and burn activities, it ensures that the land
being cleared is not part of the fragile ecosystem. Additionally, the Dayak
Meratus also provides ample time for the land to recover by not planting
anything after a period of time. During that time, the Dayak Meratus will
search for another area to be cultivated.
Apart from
conducting this practice, the Dayak Meratus tribe also practices intercropping,
growing various crops in the same field. This allows a variety of staple foods
to be consumed but also helps the crops to be more resilient, reduces pest
outbreaks, and enhances the resilience of the farming system against
environmental fluctuations.
What Dayak Meratus
has been doing, is what WALHI wants to replicate across Indonesia. Focusing on
each area’s strength and the community practices, ensuring to meet the needs of
local communities. At the same time, there should be an increase in sustainable
agricultural practices that improve yield without exploiting the forest.
Challenges and Trajectories
What WALHI proposes
is not an entirely novel approach, The Forest Development Center of the College
of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR-FDC) from the University of the
Philippines Los Banos has previously floated the idea. Especially in addressing
the country's chronic food insecurity and malnutrition problems. This
highlights the often-overlooked role of forests in contributing to food
security, alongside traditional agriculture.
However there are
going to be challenges moving forward. Despite the approaches proposed by
WALHI, there are still uphill battles that the organization and local
communities must face, especially on government regulations, restoring the
ecosystem to support the community, and whether the effort can be scaled up.
In the Philippines, similar efforts are already being undertaken, namely the Carood Watershed Project, backed by the U.N.'s
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The project tackles environmental
health and food security as it aims to restore the watershed's natural balance
by focusing on reforestation, water reservoir protection, and sustainable land
management. This collaborative effort brings together government officials,
local communities, and academic institutions to ensure collaborative
decision-making.
Replicating the WKR
approach elsewhere requires sensitivity to local contexts and active community
participation. Nonetheless, the model offers a blueprint for sustainable land
management in the face of escalating environmental challenges, and most importantly,
it holds promise for other Southeast Asian countries, to balance food security
and environmental protection.
About WALHI
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup
Indonesia (WALHI) is the largest environmental movement organization in
Indonesia, comprising 487 member organizations from non-governmental and
nature-loving entities, along with 203 individual members spread across 28
provinces in Indonesia. Since 1980 to the present day, WALHI has been actively
driving efforts to protect and restore the environment in Indonesia. WALHI is
committed to promoting the recognition of environmental rights, the protection
of these rights, and the fulfillment of human rights as a reflection of the
state's responsibility in safeguarding the essential resources that sustain the
livelihood of the people.
WALHI recognizes the
increasing challenges it faces in its ongoing environmental advocacy. These
challenges stem from the growing influence of global capitalism, which
prioritize free-market agendas. Additionally, there is a trend of alignment
with political forces that support the interests of industrial nations and the
global economic system. In this context, the impact of capital accumulation on
people, the environment, and essential resources has led to environmental
crises and has implications for society's economic, social, and cultural
well-being, affecting citizens in both urban and rural areas. To address these
issues and promote economic, social, and ecological justice for current and
future generations, a strong and widespread social movement is crucial, with
WALHI playing an integral part in this collective effort.
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