First upload : 28 September 2017

Boyolali, ANTARA JATENG – The local communities in the slopes of Mount Merapi from four villages in Central Java have expressed their commitment to protect the forest and the environment through agroforestry program.The program is implemented by planting coffee in Stabelan hamlet of Tlogolele Village of Boyolali District on Monday. The sub-village is located only around 3.5 kilometer from the peak of the mountain.

Merapi sustainable landscape progam has been initiated by Businees Wacth Indonesia (BWI), an Indonesian non-government organisation, with the support of Solidaridad, an international NGO. In addition to coffee pilot planting, their commitment to the prevention of forest destruction and rehabilitation of Merapi areas have been declared as well. The declaration was made by the heads of the villages in the slopes of Mount Merapi, that is Tlogolele, Suroteleng, and Wonoboyo in Boyolali district, and Angargomulyo in Magelang district.

Aris Guntara, the Head of BWI Foundation, indicated that Merapi Sustainable Landscape program is one of the programs implemented by BWI with the support of Solidaridad and other relevant stakeholders in Central Java. The program is aimed at achieving sustainable landscape in the slopes of Mount Merapi through the development of agroforestry and low carbon agriculture. The program is in support of Central Java provincial  government program to achieve food security.

According to Aris Guntara,  a total of 6,140 hectares of Merapi areas within Hazard Zone 1 have been selected for the program since the areas play an important role for the downstream areas, including in agriculture. The areas that are known as the Merapi Mount National Park have 20 points of sources of water that make the areas very important for the lives beneath them.

The 2,500 hectares of forest areas within the National Park boundaries are grown with mostly pine trees and serve as the water catchment areas for three river basins. Two of the three river basins provide benefit to at least 1.7 hectares of the surrounding areas and cover at least 20 districts and cities in Central Java and East Java provinces.

"However, the beneficial function of the National Park has been undermined as a result of the increasing decline of forested areas in Merapi," said Aris.

In addition to agricultural activities, said Aris further, the eruptions of Mount Merapi have also contributed to extensive forest damage. Data from the State-Own Forestry Company, Perhutani, indicated that damage to the forest areas around Merapi has reached to 2,818 ha, where almost 60 percents are within the administrative boundaries of Central Java. As a result of the eruptions, a total of 345.75 ha of 4,500 ha of farm forest areas are considered to be in critical condition.

As a result of the damage, BWI together with the local communities in the slopes of Merapi has been implementing the Merapi sustainable landscape program in 10 villages in three districts where Merapi areas fall into in Central Java Province, namely Boyolali, Magelang and Klaten. The program that will last until 2020 aims at achieving sustainable landscape management in Merapi areas by the end of the year to keep Merapi conserved and protected and capable of contributing to improved livelihood of the local communities living in Merapi surrounding areas without contributing to deforestation.

Activities that have been imlemented include training on low carbon agricultural practices, conservation as well as agroforestry that can increase the capacity of the people in Merapi areas, for them to adopt into daily practices,” said Aris.

According to Aris, the pilot coffee planting activities in Tlogolele Village of Boyolali have been conducted on 68 hectares of farm forest areas. Coffee agroforestry has been selected as one of the environmental conservation efforts since it provides benefit to the local commmunities. People can generate additional income from coffee planting without having to cut the trees while at the same time maintaining carbon reserve and ground water in the landscape. Until now, local communities have been making use of the farm forest to grow and collect grazing grasess and collect timber from albasia trees.

“In addition to through coffee agroforestry, in collaboration with Merapi National Park Office and Solidaridad, BWI has encouraged local communities in the buffer zone areas of Merapi to conduct conservation of native vegetations, including berasan(Tarrenoidea wallichii), a native tree that is considered to be resistant to Merapi pyroclastic flow and volcanic ash, as well as flower species and dadap (Erythrina) tree,” Aris indicated further.

The Head of Tlogolele village, Widodo, said that the pilot coffee planting in the farm forest will help local community to generate additional income while at the same time keeping the forest conserved and preventing environmental damage in Tlogolele village.

The Executive Director of Solidaridad, Nicolaas Roozen, said that Solidaridad was very happy to be able to help improve the lives and liveihoods of local communities in Mount Merapi areas.

"This program has brought good benefit not only to the people living around Merapi but also to the forest itself,” said kata Nicolaas. He believed that growing coffee not only generates additional income to the local communities but also helps to keep the forest conserved.

Theresia Widiyanti, the Program Coordinator of  BWI, explained that Merapi sustainable landscape program is a support to the Central Java government’s efforts in achieving food security. To achieve food security, an integrated effort is crucial considering the diminishing boundaries between sectors.

Reporter: Bambang Dwi Marwoto

Editor: Achmad Zaenal M

COPYRIGHT © ANTARA 2017

Issued on 5 June 2017

Source: 

http://www.antarajateng.com/detail/warga-merapi-bertekad-lindungi-hutan-melalui-agroforestri.html

Photo credit: Business Watch Indonesia