Indonesia

Since 1990, Kasepuhan Pasir Eurih had lost access to their forest since the area had been included as a conservation area in the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park. Since then, they have been unable to practice the shifting cultivation (huma), their indigenous culture and as a community heavily dependent on the forest for their local food cultivation. Similarly, Kampung Cipeucang, Kampung Ciwaluh and Kampung Lengkong were included in a conservation area and lost their forest. Between 2015-2017, on an annual basis these communities received an eviction letter to leave their arable land although they have been living on these lands since approximately 1930. The communities lived in constant fear of entering their lands due to intimidation.   

This DGM Indonesia subproject focused on livelihood advocacy and improvement for the Kasepuhan indigenous community through their customary adat forest and conservation co-management. Implemented by Rimbawan Muda Indonesia (RMI), the project sought to obtain tenure security for 6 communities in Pasir Eurih and Cibarani of Lebak Regency, Banten; Cipeucang Hamlet of Pasir Buncir Village of the Caringin District; Kampung Ciwaluh, Wates Jaya of Cigombong District, Bogor.

With support from DGM Indonesia, RMI helped the communities secure their tenure rights by applying adat forest for Kasepuhan Pasir Eurih and Kasepuhan Cibarani, along with conservation co-management for other locations. In December 2018, the supporting documents for the application of conservation co-management were sent to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. In March 2019, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry for Kasepuhan Pasir Eurih issued an adat forest decree on the 306 hectares of land. Later, in December 2019 a decree for Kasepuhan Cibarani adat forest was issued. President Joko Widodo handed over the decree for both adat forests in Istana Negara on January 7, 2021. This has been one of the most notable achievements of the DGM Indonesia project.