By Dedy Wahyudy

The Head of Melawi Regency Youth, Sports, Culture and Tourism Office, the Head of Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park (TNBBBR) and Project Leader Sintang Melawi WWF-Indonesia West Kalimantan Program, agreed to develop community-based tourism in Melawi Regency. This commitment is outlined in an operational cooperation agreement on Community-Based Tourism Development in Melawi Regency in 2014, and was signed on Thursday (28/11), in Nanga Pinoh, Melawi Regency, West Kalimantan Province.

The signing of this operational agreement is a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding between the parties signed on November 5, 2012 by the Regent of Melawi Regency, the Head of the TNBBBR Balai and the West Kalimantan Program Manager, WWF-Indonesia on Collaborative Management of TNBBBR. The memorandum of understanding between the parties focuses more on program collaboration in developing the buffer zone of TNBBBR.

Drs. Bachtiar AL, M.Si, Head of the Melawi Regency Youth, Sports, Culture and Tourism Office, revealed that this program is very good because it is a multi-party collaboration between the local government and the central government as well as support from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

"Furthermore, we will jointly identify several villages in the buffer zone of the TNBBBR that have ecotourism potential to be a pilot Tourism Village. But in general, the scope that we will work together is summarized in four strategic activities, namely encouraging community-based tourism development policies in Melawi Regency, building tourism institutions from the district level to the village level, supporting community-based tourism development in Melawi Regency, and capacity building in tourism development in Melawi Regency," he explained further.

"For the TNBBBR itself, this momentum is very important as a follow-up to the implementation of the Minister of Forestry Regulation Number P.19/Menhut-II/2004 concerning Collaborative Management of Nature Reserve Areas and Nature Conservation Areas. Furthermore, with the collaboration of the TNBBBR management program, it is hoped that it can strengthen the existence of the TNBBBR and have a positive impact on the community around the TNBBBR area," concluded Ir. Bambang Sukendro MM, Head of the TNBBBR Balai.

Said by Rudi Zapariza, Project Leader Sintang-Melawi, WWF-Indonesia West Kalimantan Program, this operational cooperation agreement aims to integrate the programs and activities of the parties so that they can synergize in supporting the implementation of tourism development programs/activities in the Melawi Regency Youth, Culture and Tourism Office and the TNBBBR Balai. "To realize the purpose and objectives of the cooperation, an integrated work plan must be prepared, starting from the preparation of program directions, which are an inseparable part of this operational cooperation agreement," said Rudi.