Indonesian Conservation Community WARSI Profile

INDONESIAN CONSERVATION COMMUNITY – WARSI (KKI–WARSI)

Indonesian Conservation Community – WARSI is a Sumatra-based organization formed in 1992 by an alliance of 20 NGOs from 4 provinces (Jambi, South Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu) that is concerned to natural conservation and local community development. WARSI’s mission to congregate power in handling their programs in the field. Establishing as a foundation, since July 2003, the foundation was transformed become Indonesian Conservation Community-WARSI and office located in Jambi. WARSI’s forum encourages contribution from any participants not only from NGOs but also from professionals and University and other parties.

WARSI’s aim is to attempt for a sustainable development that can discharge human need without threatening the future life. That is why WARSI develops a concept called: Conservation with Community”. However WARSI has a motto “ Conservation for Community Prosperity” not to discard community prosperity for Conservation.

To reach the aim’s WARSI has develop activities such as follow: 1) become a clearing house (Coordination and information) engaged with natural conservation and community development especially at southern part of Sumatra, 2) Develop communication, corporation, mediator for interested parties at local, national and international level. 3) Carry out some forum and other means like : workshop, education and training, research and other in relation to same activities. 4) Carry out communication instrument for community importance, especially which concerning to conservation and community development of southern part of Sumatra 5) Carry out conservation actions in the field using unique of NGO’s participative methods of community development program.

Mission and Objective: to relive the community based conservation of local people and influence the spatial management of conservation, especially at southern part of Sumatra, generally in Indonesia. Strategy: to achieve the mission and the objective, WARSI conduct some programs:

a. Information Program which include, Library, clipping, Printed Media by publishing Bulletin of Warta Warsi and Alam Sumatra dan Pembangunan, and audio visual tools,

b. Action Program which include some activities :

1. Conservation Development with Community at Kerinci Sebelat National Park (TNKS), as follow :

In 1992 WARSI played active role in comprehending any problem appeared at the field through basic data gathering, identifying and conflict solving, empowering local institution and find alternative media for local comprehending of the National Park for the community around the Park by WARSI’s networks in the four provinces. This activity was carried out together with WALHI and PACT (Private Agency Collaborating Together)-USAID.

As follow up of the preview activities, in 1994 – 1995 supported by Japan Grant Facility (JGF) - World Bank, WARSI carried out local institution empowering activities and prepared a conservation design with the community in the assisted village which appoint to Main Four aspects, they are : institution, alternative economy, communication media and strategic planning.

Then, in 1995 up to 2002, WARSI with WWF ID.0094 totally involved in community facilitation in a program of Pre Implementation Integrated Conservation and Development Project (PI ICDP-TNKS) at 10 pilot villages, which is the first year’s targeted villages in Area/Village Development. In this phase WARSI performed as a Village Conservation Facilitator at 10-targeted villages in the four provinces and fully managed to facilitate Bungo Tebo District in Jambi province and Sawah Lunto Sijunjung in West Sumatra and North Bengkulu in Bengkulu Province

At the end of 1996. WARSI and WWF ID0094 and Traditional Institution of Lempur in Kerinci District, cooperate with PT. Natraco Spices Indonesia dan Forest Trade Inc.-USA developed Organic Spices Program to facilitate spices especially Cassiavera. Farmer at the Daerah Hulu Air Lempur (DHAL). In this program, WARSI and WWF occupied as facilitator of the farmer and the Traditional/Local Institution in managing the farms, harvest and trading at the district level. WARSI assigned a staff to work full time with the team.

2. Study of Suku Anak Dalam/Kubu in Jambi

The Existence and the distribution of Suku Anak Dalam “Kubu” in Sumatra face a habitat and social problem which threat their life because of development movement around their habitat like, transmigration, land clearing for HPH, plantation etc. The problems was encouraged other parties and WARSI’s awareness;

As initial step, in 1995-1996 supported by Cultural Survival-USA. WARSI started to study with the “Kubu” who live in distribution of Bukit Duabelas Biosphere Reserve and the buffer zone of Kerinci Sebelat National Park.

In 1996 cooperated with World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia Programme (WWF) ID. 0117, WARSI carried out a comprehensive short study of the Kubu distribution at the southern part of Bukit Tigapuluh National in Jambi province. In the corporation WARSI conducted as a responsible institution which involved 5 staff, 2 of them were from WWF ID 0117. Subsequently a superficial corporation was developed on the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park area management. WWF focused to the northern part of national park area, which is in Riau , while WARSI focused to the area management of the park at the southern part, which is in Jambi province. The focus of the activities is maintain the forest lay out side of the park as the habitat of Suku Anak Dalam and the possible of the park expansion which is now became as production forest.

In the same year, WARSI corporate with European Commission engaging it’s program called Forest Inventory & Monitoring Project (EC-FIMP) in Indonesia Forest Sector Support Program (IFSSP) for Forestry Department, carried out a Basic Survey of Community of Suku Anak Dalam “Kubu” at the pilot project area of EC-FIMP to get information and documentation based on Geography Information System (GIS) developed by FIMP of Orang Rimba distribution, number, and their activities, and most important their way of life. This activity was relating to Socio Economy Survey to the Community who live around and near the forest.

In 1996 WARSI’s awareness toward the Suku Anak Dalam encouraged an International NGO Rain Forest Norway (RFN). Then, a long commitment was set up and financed by Norwegian Administration (NORAD), WARSI and NRF agreed to follow up preview activities carried out by WARSI for long term seriously together with Suku Anak Dalam community to carried out education, health facilitation and the most important is how to maintain their habitat that was remnant natural forest around the Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park and Bukit Dua Belas Biosphere Reserve (now has been expanded and become Bukit Duabelas National Park), and at the area along Central Sumatra High Way. The preliminary activities were 5 years (1997-2002). But then since 2001, this activity got additional fund from OD Norway (One Day Operation) and pro long up to 2005 to support the on going activities which focus to literate and numeric (education program) and health education for Orang Rimba (Suku Anak Dalam).

3. Biodiversity Study

WARSI is considering the high pressure to the natural forest in Sumatra which will give mass impact to the biodiversity sustainable of tropical forest,. Some production/cultivated area which originally included to protected become WARSI’s most serious attention. With the limited resources, WARSI attempted to carry some study to get data of biodiversity potency considering to natural forest. The result of the study has been used as a tool in advocacy to maintain the natural forest (especially low land forest) in Sumatra.

Flora Diversity Study and Ecosystem types at Bukit Duabelas

This activity was a corporation between WARSI and Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI) in 1998. The result of this research become one of important information for communication to stakeholder, especially to the government, in order to get a special attention to the remnant forest preservation in the central of Jambi Province, Especially, this research was aimed to collect types of endemic and the local knowledge of ethno botany

Biota Medic Expedition

In 1998, WARSI facilitated Biota Medic Expedition to Bukit Duabelas area. The expedition involved Health Department, Agriculture Institute –Bogor, University of Indonesia and Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) run for 1,5 months. The aim of the expedition was to uncover biota medicine potency used for medicine by the Orang Rimba at Bukit Duabelas. It was identified hundreds biota medicine, flora and fauna that used by the Orang Rimba. The result of the expedition then used in the advocacy in maintaining the natural forest in Bukit Duabelas.

Sumatra’s Tiger and Rhino Trade Monitoring

From 1999 (April) up to 2002, Warsi worked together with WWF Indonesia and become one of networks of Sumatra’s Tiger and Rhino Trade Monitoring. WARSI was responsible to monitor the central part of Sumatra. Form the monitoring Warsi collected data and information on Sumatra’s Tiger and Rhino catchments and killing, and also the trade networks.

Indonesia Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP)

In 2002 (April – September 2002), WARSI worked together with Indonesia National Plan in arranging IBSAP document and financed by GEF, WARSI was Regional Coordinator – Sumatra and has responsible to facilitate and ensure all parties to give their contribution maximally in the arranging the documents. The activity was held to face the fast social and political change that bring mass impact in biodiversity management in Indonesia generally and especially Sumatra, so that it’s needed to identify new appropriate actions to the most recent chances and challenges of the biodiversity conservation. Besides, the old document BAPI (Biodiversity Action Plan for Indonesia) 1993 was not appropriate to the recent condition. That ‘s why a new appropriate action that contains action and strategic plan at national level that is comprehensive and implement able was certainly needed as a guidelines for multi parties. The new Indonesia Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) was expected to replace the BAPI 1993.

In the implementation, WARSI attempted to encourage all key stakeholders who involved in biodiversity conservation to play active role in arranging the document, they are; local user, local community, privates, NGOs, local government, regional and national level, resource management institution, research institution and university and the small management unit of biodiversity. They all are encouraged to actively participate in the process. Specifically the process were as follow:

1. Held some discussion that involved multi stakeholder from provincial and regional level
2. Delivered questionnaire to obtain aspirations
3. Held outreach
4. Participated in National IBSAP
5. Carried out thematic focus discussion on the issue of low land forest, sea and coastal, agriculture and plantation, and wet land)
6. Arranged the substance of ideas of Sumatra to be presented in the National IBSAP document.

The outcome of the process was Mandat Sumatra or Sumatran Mandate. The substance of the mandate was an agreement of moratorium agenda on the Sumatra biodiversity management. Get information about this at www.ibsap.org.

4. Community Forestry System Development

Community forest management system in the southern part of Sumatra is local /traditional community based forest management. The program development was to obtain local aspiration on the natural resource management, inventory study and community forest system identification of custom/traditional forest, protected forest and prohibition lagoon, The activity was held together with Konsorsium Pendukung Sistem Hutan Kerakyatan (KpSHK). And to discover an appropriate management model and assisted community at Sei Tilan Aburan village Tebo District through Local Natural Forest production management carried out together with Forestry Faculty of Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta.

Since May 2000, Warsi supported by Ford Foundation has been conducting Social Effort toward the Decentralization of Community Based Natural Resources Management Program at the Southern part of Sumatra (CBFM). WARSI’s networks at the four provinces hold the program. The effort was aimed to implement Community Based Forest Management (CBFM). Expecting the effort could be facilitated model implementation of local forest management that supported by the local government. The program are located at; Batu Kerbau village (Bungo District) and Guguk village (Merangin District) in Jambi province; Koto Malintang village (Agam District) in West Sumatra province, Ladang Palembang village (Lebong Utara District); and Ex Marga Benakat (Tanjung Enim District) is South Sumatra province.

5. Supporting Bioregion Approach in Managing Natural Resource at the Batang Hari River Watershed

Started in September 2002 for 7 months, WARSI financed by, DFID-MFP held a pre-implementation of Joint Agreement Development as a new step to support a new perspective of natural resource management by the community through Bioregion Approach of The Batang hari River Watershed, which included two provinces: ( Jambi and West Sumatra Provinces). Through this activity, we have completed commitment by assignments of MoU called Nota Kesepahaman Bersama or Joint Agreement Note (MoU) of multi stakeholder to begin natural resource management plan at the Batang hari river watershed which secure the sustainable function and the usage.

Organization Structure