Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Concerning

The application of EsA Principles in Indonesian forestry does show some strengths but still faces huge weaknesses and threats. However, it may also take advantage of some opportunities.

The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) framework, is supposed to help formulate better management strategies and implement an optimal and effective management system.

The following Table 6.2 indicates some of these internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities, and threats concerning the application of EsA Principles in the case of the study area Bengawan Solo River Basin.

Table 6.2. SWOT Analysis of EsA Principles on Ecological Forest Functions Arrangement in the BS Basin

STRENGTHS

 Commitment /statement from the forestry sector to apply the ecosystem approach

 Management commitment on forest arrangement to optimize functions

 Organization structure down to the lowest appropriate level

 Established reforestation programs

 Strengthening of local participation processes related to forests

 Established incentive mechanisms

 Good traditional agro-forestry practices

WEAKNESSES

 Inconsistent and inadequate set of regulations

 Inappropriate designation of conservation areas

 Sector oriented, narrow project scope

 weak communication and cooperation

 Lack of adaptive management

 Lack of integrated, conservation strategy (protected’ and ‘non protected’), disregarding the landscape scale

 Uniformity of forest management by Perhutani, without consideration of local variability

 Limited forestry provision and competence outside designated forest areas

 lack of disincentive mechanisms and internalization of environmental costs and benefits

 Only small natural forest patches left, connectivity lost.

OPPORTUNITIES

 Law No. 5/1990 on Conservation of Living Resource and their Ecosystem and Law No.5/1990 on CBD Ratification;

 The call to optimize the environmental, social and economic benefits for the local

community by Law No. 41/1999 on Forestry.

 The call for ecoregions as basis for

environmental management plan by the Law cover watershed or city) and Law No. 41/1999 on Forestry (30% forest cover watershed or island).

 the call for reforestation / rehabilitation by the Law No. 41/1999 on Forestry

 the call for integration management for all kind of development issues to aim

sustainability by the Law on Spatial Planning;

Law on Forestry; Law on Environmental Protection and Management; and IBSAB (Indonesia Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan)

 the call for inter-sectoral collaboration related to EIA by Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management and Law No 22/1999 on Regional Government implies extended responsibility of the forestry sector

THREATS

 Only small natural forest patches left, connectivity lost,

 Increasing population density might lead to further urbanization, forest loss and landscape degradation

 Large area is owned by private ownership (high compensation cost)

 Sector centric policies and perspectives compromise coordination, cooperation and consideration of forest functions

Strengths

The endorsed commitment to apply the ecosystem approach is a supportive forestry policy and a new directive for forestry development; as well as the commitment of the forest management to optimize the environmental, social and economic benefits for the local community.

The established management indicates that the organization structure in the forestry sector encompasses the lowest necessary level and it can be expected to be more effective in implementing the forest management concerning ecological function in particular.

Together with this, under democracy system, decentralization system can help effectively to identify local needs and solve problems through participation, as well as to develop local identities and to shorten the decision making process.

The established social forestry under Perhutani and the developed incentive mechanism scheme for community forest demonstrate active participations from stakeholders in forestry issues. In addition, some good agro-forestry practices have been recognized, although not all those practices have an adequate provision/support yet from the forestry sector. The role of these agro-forestry practices is important particularly in Java, where is dominated with agricultural land use. They are not only meaningful in economic aspects but also deliver ecological benefits, for instance due to non-monoculture production system, high species diversity and multi-storied configuration.

Weaknesses

The study also demonstrates weaknesses in the forest management system, including inconsistency and inadequacy of regulations and the absence of some technical guidelines.

Some regulations still reflect strict sectoral and internal orientation which restrains intersectoral collaboration. Further, management practices are still not adaptive.

Uniform procedures and goals demonstrate the lack of considering and valuing local variability, including biological diversity. Coupled with inappropriate designation of area functions, this will surely lead to further biodiversity losses. The lack of holistic understanding and consideration of landscape ecology is demonstrated by the ignorance of habitat connectivity and up-to-date wildlife conservation strategies. On top of that, the Indonesian conservation strategy still relies on segregation, focussing on designated protected areas while disregarding conservation values outside protected areas. Respective forestry competences and provisions are missing, including disincentive economic mechanisms which might foster unsustainable development.

Opportunities

The CBD ratification and the Law on Conservation of Living Resource and their Ecosystem are umbrella policies for all development sectors to conserve and maintain the ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, including forests. Thus, it implicates intersectoral related to EIA and extended responsibility of the forestry sector to maintain all types of forest ecosystems as well as to attach conservation goals in all forest functions.

The Forestry Law, the Spatial Planning Law as well as IBSAB recognize the different spheres categories that should be protected. They provide opportunities for the forestry sector to preserve and maintain those areas. In addition, ecoregion as a unit basis for inventarization that is promoted by IBSAB and the Law on Environmental Protection and Management can be implemented to recognize local variability of regions like the common environmental conditions, species, and disturbance processes. This can also extend the current role of foresters to areas outside designated forests. These opportunities will afford advantages but do require change of the management objective that covering whole terrestrial area into integrated landscape ecology.

With the forest management system and well prepared guidelines in place, this will open new opportunities to communicate, cooperate and collaborate with other development sectors and local government.

Threats

The high population density has changed the natural landscape of the study area. The increasing demand of land for settlement, infrastructure and cropping lands leads to further remnant forest losses and fragmentation and it affects the ecological functionality and integrity of the entire landscape with respect to air, water, soil and natural habitats with their specific biodiversity. The trend of land use change towards a more artificial and ‘’un-ecological’’ state is obvious. The loss of large forest habitat areas, forest fragmentation and isolation as well as the inadequate designation of protected areas will determine the future survival of meta-populations and ecosystem resilience. In addition, large area owned by private like in Java can be very costly such as for compensation.

Sector centric policies usually lead to conflicts at lower level, and they give adversely impacts to the environment. Furthermore, sector centric policies do often restrict cooperation and collaboration with other sectors due to limited on provision as such including for external awareness.