Prospect of Community Forest in Indonesia

Noting the economic and social conditions of forests in Indonesia are relatively has some similarities with conditions in other tropical countries, the real prospects for the Community Forest has been developed in Indonesia in the future. Although, there are opinions that say that the new society included in the forest after the forest management needs to be rehabilitated. Why? Because in tropical countries like Indonesia, forests are a source of livelihood for many communities. There are still many people whose lives depend on forests and forest resources, either directly or indirectly. With community based forest management, forests not only provide benefits to a handful of people, eg owners of forest concessions, but the benefits are more equitably.

Another advantage is the long-term community commitment to forest protection may be more applicable. Thus, the increasingly severe forest damage can be prevented. This is because the community directly benefit from continuous forest. Community involvement in forest management is also built surveillance. This means that, in practice, forest management and forest use by communities directly supervised by the people concerned. Therefore, the violation of forest destruction will be subject to sanctions in accordance with the commitments. Tight supervision by the community itself has a more tangible impact for forest protection as compared to law enforcement by the government through its officials in the field.

It should be recognized until recently banhwa of law enforcement in the field of forestry sector is still very difficult. Some of the factors that support:

1. Compared to the lack of field officers who supervised the forest area. With the imbalance of the number of field officers with a total area of forest does not lead to effective and efficient supervision. Violations in the field such as illegal logging and encroachment are not everything can be monitored due to limited personnel. It is expected that Community Forest with tight supervision by the community itself, can help overcome the ineffective and inefficient supervision by officers in the field of forest.
2. The involvement of forestry officials or other concerned parties in the infringement in the field of forestry. The involvement of the authorities is a form of practice of Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism is still difficult to be eradicated.
3. Does not specifically sanction against violations committed, besides not specifically sanction, nor given weight of sanctions.