We might be living in a very green city in Singapore. However, in our very own backyard, forests are disappearing at an alarming rate at over 25 million hectares of tree cover over the past 2 decades!
Previous attempts at forest management often adopt a “state-knows-best” attitude, especially under Suharto’s dictatorship prior to 2000, which often leads to local resentment and/or resistance when their needs are ignored or insufficiently met. Hence, there is a growing shift to include local forest communities in conservation efforts to see how conservation and livelihood needs can be met simultaneously.
How can we bring locals on board to protect these ancient, lush, biodiversity-rich forests? And how will shifts in Indonesia’s forest management regimes and economic prospects influence forest communities’ priorities in conserving forests?