Palangka Raya, Indonesia, 30 September 2021–The Bukit Bamba Village Forest Management Monitoring Team (LPHD) and Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF) Indonesia discovered high levels of biodiversity in Bukit Bamba Village Forest, Kahayan Tengah District, Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan. With this in mind, LPHD Bukit Bamba hopes that the village forest can be used as a research forest for the community and universities.
“The survey results from the Bukit Bamba LPHD Team and BNF found that there were many types of trees and medicinal plants, and we even met several orangutans. This proves that there are still plenty animals in the Bukit Bamba Village Forest,” said Herie Jakat, Head of the Bukit Bamba LPHD, last week.
Within its current capacity, the LPHD Bukit Bamba acknowledges that it has not been able to maintain and sustainably manage the whole village forest. Collaborating with various parties, including BNF, will facilitate more effective village forest management through training, mentoring, and improved access to resources.
Bukit Bamba Village received a Social Forestry permit under a village forest (HD; Hutan Desa) scheme in February 2021. LPHD Bukit Bamba is collaborating with the Central Kalimantan Province Forest Management Unit (KPH) and BNF Indonesia to look after the HD Bukit Bamba.
Bukit Bamba Village Forest itself is divided into three areas, one of which is known as area two and spans 350 hectares. Social Forestry Officer of BNF Indonesia, Lilik Sugiarti, reports that the results of the forest survey in Bukit Bamba Village, particularly from area two, suggest that it is indeed suitable as a research forest.
“When we made transects with LPHD members yesterday, we often met wild orangutans (Pongo pygmeus), gibbons (Hylobates albibarbis), red langur monkeys (Presbytis rubicunda), and even sunbears and slow lorises. The Bamba Village Forest contains animal run-off from the oil palm plantations that surround it,” Lilik explains.
According to Lilik, this abundance of biodiversity reflects an urgent need for sustainable activities to protect forest areas from encroachment and further destruction. These could take the form of research, ecotourism, or patrols. For this reason, BNF Indonesia is engaged in providing assistance and training according to the needs of LPHD members and the local community.
“Through these efforts, the people of Bukit Bamba Village continue to be enthusiastic about protecting the village forest by means of various activities that are beneficial for the community and the environment alike,” she summarizes.
Writer: Yohanes Prahara, Content Creator of BNF Indonesia
