Jakarta - WWF-Indonesia and the Ministry of Forestry, through the Director General of Forestry Business Development, today (14/8) agreed to realize Sustainable Production Forest Management (PHPL) in the field of social community. The agreement contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Dr. Efransjah as CEO of WWF-Indonesia, and Ir. Bambang Hendroyono, MM as Director General of Forestry Business Development. The MoU signing ceremony took place at the Manggala Wanabakti Building.

This agreement is a form of support from both parties to production forest managers in Indonesia, which is realized in regulatory efforts, increasing the capacity of human resources (HR), facilitating partnerships and developing systems. These efforts are motivated by the occurrence of social conflicts - dominated by tenure/land conflicts and experienced by all business units (IUPHHK-HT and IUPHHK-HA) - as the impact felt by the community in forest management practices in Indonesia, which are more focused on the technical aspects of production. It is difficult for parties in the field to map potential conflicts and their resolution because there is still a gap in the capacity of human resources capable of handling such issues properly. This often results in poor communication with communities, making conditions on the ground less conducive for investors to develop their investments.

The resolution of tenurial conflicts that occur in natural and plantation forests is not only the responsibility of the Central Government, but also the responsibility of local governments, the business sector, civil society and other related parties. "This cooperation is part of efforts to improve tenurial conflict resolution and is expected to improve the management of production forest areas at the site/Forest Management Unit (FMU) level," said Ir. Bambang Hendroyono, MM. "The principle of managing Production Forest areas that must prioritize production, environmental and socio-cultural sustainability remains a concern of the Ministry of Forestry to take an active role in its resolution efforts even though this is the responsibility of the permit holder," he added.

According to Dr. Efransjah, "With a common vision and mission regarding the application of the PHPL system to forest managers, this agreement between WWF-Indonesia and the Ministry of Forestry is expected to increase the competence of human resources in the field of social community in implementing social management activities in production forest areas."

In a credible PHPL system, social management aspects must also be considered, such as the implementation of social conflict handling mechanisms, recognition of tenure rights, and ensuring that the impact of management provides positive benefits that outweigh the negative impacts.

Met at the same location, Arnold Sitompul, Conservation Director of WWF-Indonesia, said, "Conflict resolution is the most important part of ensuring sustainable forest management in Indonesia. Therefore, tenure conflicts must be resolved using an approach that is integrated socially, economically and ecologically, and carried out with a participatory process."

Sustainable forest management not only has a positive impact on timber production and good habitat function for protected species, but also provides great benefits for environmental services, which in turn will benefit the people living around the forest.

Note to Editor:

• In addition to the aforementioned agreements, WWF-Indonesia and the Ministry of Forestry also appointed Wana Aksara as a research institute for the implementation of the MoU, which is valid for the next one year.
• High-resolution photos of the MoU signing event can be downloaded via the link http://bit.ly/1ravl3w, and used with © WWF-Indonesia as copyright.

For more information, please contact:

• Aditya Bayunanda, Forest Commodities - Market Transformation Program Leader, WWF-Indonesia (abayunanda@wwf.or.id, +62 818 265588)
• Ir. Gatot Soebiantoro, M.Sc, Director of Plantation Forest Business Development, Indonesian Ministry of Forestry (gatsubi@yahoo.com, +62 21 5704501-04)