WCS is working in North Sulawesi to integrate conservation and environmentally sustainable natural resource management among rural communities. The goal of the project is to improve rural livelihoods while simultaneously benefiting the environment and forms part of the Indonesian “Kecamatan Development Program” (known locally as KDP, or PPK or Program Pengembangan Kecamatan). This is country-wide rural development program reaches more than 30,000 rural villages and provides them with facilitation services, village governance improvements, and grants for village-chosen investments.
In North Sulawesi the existing program has to date focused on the construction of public facilities (such as roads, bridges, water supply facilities etc.) and to a lesser degree it also assists with health, education, micro-finance and productive livelihood activities. While such activities might improve the livelihoods of the local communities, and are expected to speed up the economic development of the area, environmental and conservation considerations have not been fully integrated. This is set to change with the piloting of a ‘Green’ level to KDP with WCS providing capacity building, education and awareness to support its implementation.
BROWSE :
The Human Aspect
WCS Activities
Important Next Steps
The Human Aspect
This project is targeted in three districts of North Sulawesi, including areas adjacent to the national parks of Bogani Nani Wartabone & Bunaken. Within these districts local community livelihoods are heavily dependent on the natural resources, however existing developments take little account of this, partly as a result of the low awareness of the true economic value of goods and services provided by natural ecosystems, and the economic impact of the unsustainable use. Lack of collaborative linkages between stakeholders from the village to the national level has also led to uncoordinated efforts to combine development with natural resource conservation.
WCS Activities
The target districts and their importance to wildlife include:
- Bolaang Mongondow: The most significant feature for natural resource management and wildlife conservation alike is the presence of large tracts of primary forest; part of the Bogani Nani Wartabone forest complex. This large forest area of 300,000 ha spans large areas of North Sulawesi and Gorontalo provinces. The forests of this region support almost all of the endemic fauna of the island.
- Sangihe: Despite only having a very small area of natural forest left the island of sangihe is the home to an astonishing six endemic bird species, including one of the world rarest birds – the Cerulean paradise Flycatcher. The island of Siau supports one endemic bird species – the critically endangered Siau Scops Owl. This species has not been recorded since 1929 and it is feared to be extinct. The coast and seas around both Sangihe and Siau support some spectacular coral reefs and other undersea features including active volcanic vents in shallow water.
- Minahasa Utara: Klabat and Wiau mountains are the most important wildlife habitats in the region. Crested-black macaques, spectral tarsiers, hornbills, Timor deer, and other animals can be found here. These forested areas are under serious threat from illegal logging and agricultural expansion. The coasts of the region support healthy mangrove forest which provide an important fish hatchery that in turn supplies many off-shore fishing grounds.
WCS will address the integration of conservation objectives within the existing Kecamatan Development Project in the three target districts through:
- Capacity building of KDP facilitators and local government agencies in the promotion of environmentally beneficial community-managed projects.
- Awareness raising among local communities, including women and children, village and local government officials as well as other stakeholders of rural development. Promoting the integration of wise natural resource management objectives within rural development.
- To develop institutional linkages between community and local government agencies to strengthen the integration of conservation and development efforts in North Sulawesi.
- To take lessons learned from North Sulawesi to other regions of Indonesia.
Tags: kdp, Kecamatan Development, Rural Development, Sulawesi
RSS