Ecosystem restoration in Sabuai village started in 2021. First, a free prior and informed consent (FPIC) process was carried out to ensure that villagers were fully informed about ecosystem restoration and consented. Second, the Village Head issued a decree to establish a restoration team. The team consists of 5 (five) people, including the Village Head, head of village council, and three village representatives who manage and implement the ecosystem restoration, including management of the nursery. Third, community meetings were facilitated to agree on the restoration design and select the areas that will be restored as well as the tree species used while ensuring a balance among ecological, economic and social value species.
In March 2021, the construction of a 250 square meter, semi-permanent nursery began. Trees were planted periodically from March 2021 to October 2022, covering 69 hectares in secondary peat swamp and mangrove forests.
Local villagers saw community-based restoration as a pathway for improving land productivity. As historically the people of Sabuai were swidden farmers, a government ban on the use of fire in agriculture meant that much of their rice farming land had to be abandoned. These lands are now unmanaged and prone to wildfires. Restoring these lands, using a mixture of species that have both economic and ecological values, means that they can benefit from these lands again while protecting the environment.
The land use history of Sabuai :
In 2000, 72 percent of Sabuai, equal to around 4,700 hectares, was covered by forests, mainly secondary swamp forest (around 4,000 hectares), and primary mangrove forest, (around 700 hectares). Within twenty years, Sabuai lost around 4,000 hectares of forests, which was mostly replaced by shrubs. Data from Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) identified that the highest vegetation loss occurred in 2006-2007 due to forest fires. Currently, Sabuai only has 718 hectares of forests, equivalent to 10.9% of the village area.
Restoration Details:
Total area planted: 67 hectares (planted within the Indonesian Forest Estate); 2 hectares (planted in community lands)
Year(s) planted: 2021 - 2022
Species:
- Matoa/ Fijian Longan (Pometia pinnata)
- Jengkol/ Djenkol (Archidendron pauciflorum)
- Kelapa/ Coconut Tree (Cocos nucifera)
- Galam/ Long-leaved Paperbark (Melaleuca leucadendra)
- Durian (Durio zibethinus)
- Kelengkeng/ Longan (Dimocarpus longan)
- Petai/ Petai Bean (Parkia speciosa)
- Aren/ Sugar Palm (Arenga pinnata)
- Belangeran/ Red Balau (Shorea balangeran)
- Bati-bati (Eugenia zeylanica)
- Alpukat/ Avocado (Persea americana)
- Mangroves (Rhizophora sp.)
Proportion of species by function : 40 % (ecological); 10 % (social); 50 % (economic)
No. Trees planted : 18,600 trees
Quotes: “We just faced a coastal flood in late 2021,” Tohhari, the Head of Sebuai Village, said, adding that high tides and strong winds led the seawater to reach the housing areas located around 700 meters away from the coastline. “This was the first time in decades. We do not have any other option other than restoring the damaged ecosystems.”
References
https://kaleka.id/tohhari-how-a-restoration-initiative-supports-a-seaside-village