Increasing Women's Participation in Forest Restoration

The forest in the province has deteriorated drastically, with a deforestation rate of 132,500 hectares (ha) yearly. Commercial logging, land conversion, coal and gold mining, and uncontrolled fires have largely contributed to deforestation and degradation. The worsening state of the forest threatens the livelihood of the majority in the districts, especially women.

Although many women in the province work in the sector, their voices are not heard in forestry programs. Gender has not been systematically integrated into the forestry sector development of the districts and provinces in West Kalimantan. Awareness and understanding of gender concepts and gender mainstreaming are also low. Traditional and cultural roles have hindered many women from participating in decision-making processes.

ADB and the Strategic Climate Fund teamed up in 2016 to assist the Government of Indonesia to revive its forest through the Community-Focused Investments to Address Deforestation and Forest Degradation Project. The two supported Indonesia’s Forest Investment Program, which aims to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in the Kapuas Hulu and Sintang districts. The project seeks to achieve twin goals: reduce greenhouse gas or GHG emissions and provide livelihood to the communities. They pursued these goals while ensuring that women are included, not just as beneficiaries but as partners in the entire process.

Gender-Responsive REDD+ Activities

One defining characteristic of this initiative is the way it has integrated gender responsiveness in project implementation. The project is currently implementing REDD+ pilot projects in 17 villages of four forest management units (FMUs), including Betung Kerihun and Danau Sentarum national parks. The FMUs are local offices mandated by Indonesia’s forestry laws to improve and decentralize forest management. From the beginning, the project made sure that the established communication infrastructure and coordination processes between FMUs and the provincial agencies are based on gender-disaggregated data and information. All project communication programs and materials included information on women’s critical roles in the project to increase gender awareness.

The pilot projects are conserving lush forests and restoring degraded ones in the FMUs while increasing women’s participation in forest management. As the pilot projects sustain forest cover and introduce livelihood activities, it is also training more women staff of the FMUs and district agencies in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Thus, women are not just empowered through assistance in alternative livelihoods, their capabilities in forest management are enhanced, too.

Sustaining Forest Cover

The project lined up several activities to restore and maintain forest cover. One priority activity was the community-based natural regeneration to rehabilitate about 6,000 ha of degraded land. This involves planting about 1.5 million native plants and establishing nurseries in identified suitable areas. The project also introduced community-based agroforestry systems to recover 1,880 ha of deforested lands. This entails planting coffee, rubber, and gaharu,^* and establishing rubber plantations. The project is helping in the formulation of community-based forest management agreements between villages and the FMUs to save 17,000 ha of land. These agreements restrict the conversion of forest land into other uses. Women comprise 35.3% of members of the community-based organizations formed for agroforestry, assisted natural regeneration, and livelihood. The project provides training to encourage more of them to join in the planning and decision-making processes as well as in their actual implementation.

To protect the forest from fires, the pilots also have a community-based forest fire management component that aims to cover 5,000 ha of natural forests directly and 91,000 ha indirectly. It supports the training of patrol groups, provides equipment for fire suppression, and increases the number of people involved in patrolling.

Providing Alternative Livelihoods

Local communities have been making a living out of forest resources in ways that harm the environment. Among them are activities that use fire and smoke, such as collecting honey and drying fish. These livelihood activities often lead to local forest fires that could escalate into uncontrollable forest fires. The project has provided alternative ways for communities to earn from the forest to avoid these incidents. It has encouraged the practice of beekeeping in cages and honey harvesting techniques that do not use fire. It has also supported the production of freshwater fish while fostering practices for drying fish that do not use fire.

The project has also been supporting the production and commercialization of non-timber forest products, including the cultivation of local tree species such as Philippine tung, durian, and dragon fruit in home gardens. Moreover, it has been promoting community-based ecotourism, freshwater fish production, and handicrafts. The project will also provide participants with weaving tools and establish handicraft galleries in the districts to kickstart women’s weaving business. These are just some alternative livelihoods the project has introduced to give the forest much needed rest and breathing space while giving people new income streams.

More than 30% of the beneficiaries in the pilot programs on livelihood skills are women. The project provides capacity enhancement and livelihood support to both men and women to have alternative livelihoods that could help sustain the forests. One of the honeybee cultivation groups in Sintang experienced difficulties, causing the men to give up. The women persisted, seeking ways to learn better practices. The program may benefit more when they involve both women and men.

The Cash Advance Program

In the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the livelihoods of communities in the project area were harshly affected by the slowdown of the local economy due to the disruption between production and markets. In response, the project introduced a cash advance program (CAP). The program aims to secure income for the most affected communities, accelerate disbursement for field implementation of agroforestry activities, and increase the role of local communities in labor-intensive activities.

CAP started in April 2020 in Kapuas Hulu and Sintang. From April to November 2020, 52 farmer groups had joined the program for a total amount of $442,000 covering 540 ha in agroforestry. CAP has been extended to other labor-intensive activities for 2021 and 2022, including assisted natural regeneration and livelihood activities such as home gardens. Cash advance in supporting home gardens improved women participation, fulfilled, subsistence food sufficiency, and increased the number of women who benefited from the program. For 2021 and 2022, the program is expected to reach $1.1 million and $0.5 million, respectively.

Results So Far

Forest Conservation

The project still has a long way to go, but it is slowly bringing changes to the forest and the lives of many in the districts. As of 2020, about 1,019 ha of the 1,880 ha targeted area of deforested land were improved with agroforestry plantation, while 3,000 ha of the 6,000 ha targeted area of degraded land were rehabilitated through community-based assisted natural regeneration. For 2021 and 2022, more areas are being identified to achieve the target for community-based agroforestry and assisted natural regeneration.

As for community forest fire management, the project’s target has already been reached—26,883 ha directly protected from forest fires and 79,693 ha indirectly protected, through 10 forest fire trainings and 39 forest patrols in the national parks.

Community Empowerment

Over 110 government staff and 539 community members, around 200 of whom were women, were trained in the green school program, geographic information system, gender empowerment, entrepreneurship, weaving techniques, and non-timber forest production. Beekeeping training was conducted in four villages and aquaculture in two. This series of training programs empower the communities to start their alternative livelihood. It also encourages women to participate more in activities and livelihood that not only sustain the forests, but also provide them with higher and more sustainable incomes. Upon project completion, over 10,000 persons would have increased their incomes through community-based livelihood activities that protect the forests as well.

Poverty Reduction

The project is poised to meet its target of increasing the household incomes of local communities by 20% in the villages of Kapuas Hulu district. The Village Development Index (VDI) established by Indonesia’s Ministry of Village Development shows that the project has substantially contributed to improved conditions in the targeted villages. Before the project, 5 of the 17 villages were categorized as “very underdeveloped,” and 12 were “underdeveloped.” The latest VDI show that only one village remained underdeveloped, 15 villages are “developing,” and one is rated “developed.”

To ensure that all activities needed to sustain the forest and the communities are completed and sustainable, the project has been extended through 30 June 2023. This will ensure the completion of the last maintenance cycle from the 2021 planting cycle and the establishment of a mechanism that will make the newly formed community-based forest management self-sustaining, even after the project closes. The extension will further strengthen the communities’ institutional capacity and provide the provincial and central government support so that they can continue and expand REDD+ initiatives.