The residents of Kalibandung Village showed the peatland landscape in their area, which was previously an oil palm plantation area. Photo: Nyoman Prayoga/USAID SEGAR

Dialogue with the Community of Kalibandung Village

In the first week of November 2021, delegations from Bappenas and USAID visited one of the focus areas of the USAID SEGAR activity, namely Kubu Raya District, West Kalimantan Province. Arriving in Pontianak in the morning of November 2, 2021, the group from Bappenas, USAID, and the USAID SEGAR team headed straight to Kalibandung Village, which is located in Sungai Raya Subdistrict, Kubu Raya District.

To get to Kalibandung Village, the group had to take a speed boat through the Kapuas River. After traveling by water for approximately one hour, the delegation from USAID, Bappenas, and USAID SEGAR arrived in Kalibandung Village.

The people of Kalibandung Village who had been waiting, immediately took the group to visit the field. They showed a vast expanse of peatland that was once an oil palm plantation on the field. Up until now, the community of Kalibandung Village have depended on oil palm plantations that are cultivated on peatlands. However, currently, they are thinking to develop other sources of livelihood.

  The USAID SEGAR team visited a coffee nursery managed by Kalibandung Village residents. Photo: Nyoman Prayoga/USAID SEGAR

Based on the observation, some areas have been slowly converted into coffee plantations by the residents. Although not fully developed yet, there is already a location dedicated to a coffee nursery that resulted from a collaboration between the Village Forest Management Institute (LPHD) and a coffee company facilitated by the Kubu Raya Forest Management Unit (KPH). The kind of Liberica coffee cultivated in this area is projected to be the flagship commodity of Kalibandung Village in the future.

Besides coffee, Kalibandung Village community have also started cultivating ginger. They utilize the grant they got from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) through Bank Pesona, to cultivate five hectares of ginger.

 Delegations from Bappenas, USAID, and USAID SEGAR held a dialogue with local community in the Kalibandung Village hall. Photo: Nyoman Prayoga/USAID SEGAR

After walking around the village, as well as experiencing and observing the peat terrain, the delegation of Bappenas, USAID, and USAID SEGAR held a dialogue with the Kalibandung community in the village hall.

As a new project, USAID SEGAR sees many potentials that can be developed in Kalibandung Village that certainly lead to more sustainable land use, both economically and environmentally. These potentials are also fueled by the residents' enthusiasm in restoring the function of the forest, protecting the peat area, and supporting their families' welfare at the same time.

USAID SEGAR will follow up on collaborative opportunities that can be done with the district government, village officials, KPH Kubu Raya, communities, and the private sector. Sharper discussions and planning will be held continuously to bring this collaboration, including with the other villages neighboring Kalibandung Village, into real action.

Knowledge Sharing with PT Mayangkara Tanaman Industri (MTI) On Forest and Peatland Management Representatives from PT MTI informed the Bappenas, USAID, and USAID SEGAR delegations regarding the conservation efforts in their concession areas. Photo: Nyoman Prayoga/USAID SEGAR

The following day, USAID and Bappenas delegations had the opportunity to visit the concession area managed by PT Mayangkara Tanaman Industri (MTI), located at the Estate Mendawak.

On this occasion, PT MTI shared their efforts in managing peatlands and forests in a sustainable manner. During the visit, PT MTI showed how they manage water in the peat ecosystem, the location of the nursery, and the area allocated for conservation. PT MTI also gave USAID, Bappenas, and the USAID SEGAR team the opportunity to plant mabangtrees (Shorea pachyphylla). This kind of tree is typically used by orangutans as a shelter for them.

This visit became a fruitful opportunity for USAID SEGAR to learn from PT MTI and, in the future, encourage broader private entities' to manage forests and peatlands sustainably.