When local practices oppose conservation policies: the role of local elites in preventing

encroachments in National ParksA case study at Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Sumatera, Indonesia.

By Yulia Rahma Fitriana, Jhon Roy Sirait and Patrice Levang

“Taking stock of smallholder and community forestry: Where do we go from here?”

Montpellier, 24 - 26 March 2010

Presentation Plan1. Introduction: Encroachment within National Parko Conservation versus developmento The case study: Bukit Barisan Selatan National Parko Methods

2. Results and discussion o Law enforcement: an efficient tool to protect the

Park? o Implementing low enforcement to meet the diverse

needs of villages o Law enforcement and encroachment level o Law enforcement is not easy to implemento Law enforcement must target local elites not the

individual squatters

3. Conclusion

1. Introduction:

Encroachment within National Park

Conservation versus development

Flora and Fauna in Protected Area

People

The case study: Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP)

Locating BBSNP in Indonesia

Coffee Plantations in the Park

People involved in coffee plantation activities

People

Implementation of law enforcement: is it a solution?

Research questions: -Why is there such a variations in the number of encroachment along the National Park?- Is law enforcement capable of securing the border of the Park or there other elements at play?

Flores and Faunas in Protected Area

Methods

Literature Review

Data collection was gathered from:

11 villages around the Park

Park’s officers

63 hamlets chiefs (6000 HH)

Involved NGOs

Location of villages around the ParkSource: Gaveau (2009)

Village sample

2. Results

Law Enforcement: an efficient tool to protect the Park?

Typology of households within the villages

• Villagers live and hold coffee plantations outside the Park• Encroachers live in the village and hold plantations both inside

and outside the park• Squatters live and hold coffee plantations inside the Park• Landless farmers who do not have land ownership

Villagers

Encroachers

Squatters

Protection forest

National ParkVillage area

Diversity of Implementation of Law Enforcement around the Park

• Low patrol level and sanction frequency• High patrol level and low sanction frequency• Low patrol level and high sanction frequency• High patrol and sanction frequency

Trimulyo

Pagar Bukit

Pelita Jaya

Tebing Rambutan

Pemerihan

Rata Agung

Law enforcement and encroachment level

Law enforcement is not easy to implement

HIDE OR BRIBE?

• Comparison between forest rangers, National Park’s officers and surface and local people

•Corruption and collusion in the law enforcement system

Law enforcement must target local elites not the individual squatters

ProBeing involved in Park management: extension programs, rural development projects, maintaining the Park’s boarders, determining local policy regarding the Park’s protection

ConsNeglecting the Park protection policy and support the encroachment activity

4. ConclusionCoffee plantations inside protected area are the important source of income for most villages households in the around the Park.

The intensification of law enforcement applied until now can not solve the problem of increasing number of encroachers in the Park.

The role that local elites play can be both beneficial and harmful to the Park’s conservation.

The role of local elites must be considered while creating conservation enforcement: rewarding or punishing the local leaders in all around the Park.

THANK YOU