Social forestry development in East Kalimantan: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Social forestry (SF) is a strategic government program with the primary goal of enhancing the well-being of communities living around forested areas. This study aims to evaluate institutional governance and performance of social forestry holders in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. This research also analyses challenges and opportunities of social forestry development in the region. The research findings indicate that in April 2023, there were 123 social forestry permit holders in East Kalimantan, managing a total area of 271,113 hectares. Among these permit holders, 51 (42%) demonstrated good institutional governance and performance, while 19 (15.45%) had good governance but weak performance. Furthermore, 15 (12.20%) permit holders had weak governance but good performance, and there were 38 (30.9%) permit holders with both weak institutional governance and performance. The social forestry program in East Kalimantan still faces several challenges, including institutional capacity, funding and institutional issues, and policies. Strategies that can be implemented include: integrating the social forestry program with village planning (Integrated Area Development/IAD), strengthening institutions through mentoring and building a center of excellence, accessing markets for commodities, and providing funding and financing access for the social forestry holders.