Asia Times Online :: Jakarta rethinks forest policy

Asia Times Online :: Jakarta rethinks forest policy

The indigenous people is not supposed to take the biggest stakes for bearing the opportunity costs of forest and wildlife conservation. Most of them live in poverty which is partly occurred because of limited access to land property rights. The past policy of forest conservation with full government control has limited the availability of alternative livelihoods for those people. The new policy direction towards a greater community's rights on forest management can improve indigenous inhabitants' livelihoods. The indigenous people can be educated to take the advantages of forest in a sustainable way. In addition, the scheme for the community forest management should be design to give more opportunities for the poorest among the indigenous to participate in the scheme and take benefits of it.