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Partnership Network Strengthens the Conservation Area Management Practices in Wallacea

Based on laws and regulations, conservation areas consist of Nature Reserve Areas (NRA) and Nature Conservation Areas (NCA) which are realized into areas such as national parks, nature reserves, wildlife reserves, natural tourism parks, and hunting parks. Each area is crucial for the preservation of biodiversity. It is also part of life support systems, such as water supply and climate regulation which humans benefit from.

Due to these reasons, of the importance of preserving conservation areas for the sustainability of livelihood. But in fact, many conservation areas are now being gradually encroached and destroyed from year to year. Illegal logging, forest encroachment, and hunting for wildlife are destroying many conservation areas, including those in the Wallacea region. North and South Karakelang Wildlife Sanctuary, Feruhumpenai Nature Reserve and Ruteng Nature Park are to name out some.

Recently, the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (DG-NREC) drafted a regulation on Technical Guidelines for Conservation Partnership Procedures for NRA and NCA. By the issuance of the regulation, the realization of a partnership between the Technical Implementation Unit (TIU) of conservation areas and the community will be accelerated. This new regulation also complements the previously existing provisions regarding the implementation of cooperation and partnerships in the management of conservation areas.

The Wallacea Partnership Program implemented by Burung Indonesia and its partners mostly works in NRA/NCA and their buffer zones. Conservation partnerships and existing policies are considered able to accommodate various community-based conservation initiatives being developed in many areas of Wallacea. Therefore, Burung Indonesia and the Forum Komunikasi Kehutanan Masyarakat/FKKM (Community Forestry Communication Forum), with the support of DG-NREC, organized a conservation partnership coordination meeting which took place at the Sylvia Hotel, Labuan Bajo, on 10-11 January 2018.

This activity aimed to gain a common understanding of the existing policies issued by the DG-NREC for the implementation of conservation partnerships, to study the opportunities and challenges in the NRA/NCA management through the exchange of experiences and cases by participants, and to develop a collaborative agenda between Burung Indonesia and its partners with the TIU of NRA/NCA in Wallacea.

The Executive Director of Burung Indonesia, Dian Agista, said that the activities are mostly concentrated on the Wallacea region. In the context of the Wallacea Partnership Program, there are seven priority areas of funding, plus one in Timor Leste. "Coordination meetings are important not only for coordination between Burung Indonesia and program partners, but also with the technical unit of the DG-NREC so that they can continue to encourage biodiversity conservation actions for birds and other taxa in the Wallacea area," he added.

The Head of Komodo National Park, Sudiono, who attended the event representing the Director of DG-NREC, conservation area management still has potential and strength that can be used as capital in realizing effective area management practices. Therefore, the members of the Conservation Partnership in the Wallacea area can position the community as the main actor in various models of area management, and improve coordination with local government, partners, and other related parties.

“The planning process to the implementation of conservation area management also needs to involve the smallest management unit and constantly update and reconcile data and information regarding the potential and problems of each area. The DG-NREC also reminded that the capacity of human resources also needs to be improved and continues to strive to build partnerships and work networks," he said.

Realizing effective protection for conservation areas is a task that requires strong support for cooperation. There is a huge challenge rooted in local poverty problems, outside influences and limited skills and access to local communities, which later lead to nature exploitation in exchange for cash.

Law enforcement efforts alone for violators were unable to solve the problem. If we consider the latent conflicts related to local boundaries and tenure history, the issues are getting more complicated. Countless conservation areas have been contested by the community. A good mediation and partnership process is not only able to end conflicts, but also open up new opportunities that come from the partnerships itself. (MEI)

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The Wallacea Partnership Program is a partnership program implemented by Burung Indonesia with the support of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) to increase the capacity and role of civil society organizations in conserving biodiversity in the biogeographical area of Wallacea.

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