COMDEKS CASE STUDY SEMAU ISLAND INDONESIA Japan Biodiversity Fund COMDEKS CASE STUDY : SEMAU ISLAND INDONESIA PROCESS Institute is an institution that focuses on research, monitoring and evaluation, training, and facilitating services using data and visual display for environmental issues and natural resource management. PROCESS stands for pro to conservation, environment, social justice and sustainability. PROCESS Institute aims to produce accountable and qualified results of research and evaluation that can be well accepted and understood by partners and public, as well as providing training and facilitating services for various organisations both government agencies, non-governmental institutions and companies. Project Team : 1. Ery Damayanti (Project Coordinator) 2. Nur Hidayati (Facilitator) 3. Katrun Nada Danielsson (Facilitator) 4. Ramadian Bachtiar (Video Director, Camera Person) 5. Sarie Wahyuni (Facilitator, Administration Assistant) 6. Adipati Cakraningrat (Layout Designer) Photo Contributors :Ery Damayanti, Ramadian Bachtiar, Sarie Wahyuni, Hamzah Almuhadzdzib, Bingkai Foundation 2 COMDEKS CASE STUDY : SEMAU ISLAND INDONESIA COMDEKS CASE STUDY : SEMAU ISLAND INDONESIA 3 Contents summary 4 section 1 Landscape Background and Context 6 section 2 Baseline Assessments (ex-ante and ex-post) and Community Consultations 10 Semau Island in Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara Significant changes were experienced by the communities involved in section 3 COMDEKS Country Programme Landscape Strategies 21 Province was selected as the target seascape for the activities the fresh water provision, organic farming and biogas stove projects. of the COMDEKS (Community Development and Knowledge Production forest development as a way to repair water catchment Management for the Satoyama Initiative Project) Country was still in its initial stages. Results were not yet evident from seaweed section 4 Key Activities and Innovations 25 Programme. Semau Island was selected based on the consideration farming and post-harvest development as well as mangrove planting. that it is an island separate from the mainland. The island also Non-intensive facilitation in seaweed and mangrove development is represents a highly vulnerable area with potential impacts from attributed as one of the causes. section 5 Key Results and Innovations 38 climate change and extreme weather on its agriculture given the limited fresh water and thin soil layer in karst dominated terrain. The project achievements produced in 1.5 years has the potential Furthermore, the island is rich in terrestrial, coastal, and marine for replication and further development. Therefore the role of local section 6 Challenges 46 biodiversity. government cannot be ignored, and dialogs with village, sub-district and district governments are needed to build commitment for project The COMDEKS Project in Semau Island is an example of sustainability so that it can be replicated and extended to other villagers section 7 Sustainability 52 management that combines several SGP focal areas, namely who were not involved in the previous project. A funding mechanism by the community for the community must be developed, such as arisan biodiversity, climate change, renewable energy and land Replication and Upscaling degradation. In addition, the Semau Island project can become an or rotating savings and credit groups to purchase agriculture and section 8 54 example of comprehensive management for four focal SGP areas seaweed farming inputs or fresh water facilities as needed. based on socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPL), through the use of four interconnected landscapes: (1) ecosystem and With regard to extending knowledge and expertise, facilitating NGOs section 9 Lessons Learned 58 biodiversity protection; (2) agriculture diversity; (3) knowledge, must immediately undertake efforts to connect communities, develop learning and innovation; and (4) social and infrastructure justice. communication forum and inter-learning among communities, to encourage inclusive capacity building among the entire Semau section 10 Recommendations and way forward 62 This project was implemented in 10 villages in two sub-districts in Islanders. The involvement of women in these groups will contribute to Semau Island, namely Semau and South Semau Sub-districts. In the project success. During the final assessment several women group general, it can be said that the communities involved in the project initiatives were observed which can be facilitated by local government activities experienced good results and significant changes from to carry out backyard farming, create organic fertilizers and harvest this project based on the four aforementioned SEPL dimensions. product processing to generate additional economic value. 4 COMDEKS CASE STUDY : SEMAU ISLAND INDONESIA COMDEKS CASE STUDY : SEMAU ISLAND INDONESIA 5 The island is regarded to represent the characteristics of small activities and the potential for program collaboration. islands isolated from mainland with high vulnerability due climate Section 1: change impacts such as extreme weather, agriculture with limited Production activities in Semau greatly influence the community’s freshwater supply and thin soil layer dominated by karst rocks. food security. Community production greatly relies on nature, such as seasons. In addition to seasons, production in Semau depends Landscape The island is administratively situated in Kupang District, East on the work and roles of various elements of the community, Nusa Tenggara Province. Semau Island directly borders Sawu namely farmers, fishermen, seaweed farmers, women, youth, clan Background and Sea in the south, west and north, and borders the Semau Strait, an leaders, landowners (tuan tanah), landowners for areas in which international sea lane, to the east. On the south of Semau Island there are water sources (tuan air), collectors, village officials, lies Rote Island (Rote Ndao District), with Pukuafu Strait between church officials, and land and sea transportation operators. The Context the two islands. Semau Island can be accessed by sea from Tenau Government, in this case Village, Sub-District, District, Province Port in Kupang which takes 30-45 minutes by motor boat and and Central Governments (through their local programs) as well approximately 18 minutes by ferry boat. as numerous non-government organizations play important emau Island was the site selected roles in influencing community’s food security. The Ministries of Based on preliminary mapping and consultation with community, Agriculture, Marine Affairs and Fisheries, as well as Environment by the COMDEKS program in it was concluded that limited water sources, limited knowledge and and Forestry are the branches of the central government with SIndonesia through multi-stakeholder innovations in terrestrial and marine culture systems, increased interests in Semau Island. consultation process. Semau Island was chemical use for agriculture, and the threat of the reduction of clan selected as a seascape target for COMDEKS forest are the main issues to be addressed by COMDEKS program Nearly all communities in Semau Island have farmlands. The Country Programme in Indonesia. This in this island. Consultation was done with local communities, few who do not own land are usually newcomers from outside of village and sub-district government, district government, and Semau. However, many of those who came from outside Semau 265 square kilometer island is an example other national stakeholders to gain inputs for strategy, selected owned land given or purchased from clans. Nearly all of the Coast of management which combines several of Semau Island is part of the Marine Nature Recreational Park FGP focal areas including biodiversity, managed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, while climate change, renewable energy, and part of the south/southeast waters are part of the Sawu Marine land degradation. In addition, the Semau National Park managed by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF). It can be said that the Ministry of Agriculture Island project can become an example plays the most critical role along with the Kupang District of comprehensive management for four Government because agriculture has supported the lives of the focal SGP areas using four interconnected Semau Islanders for generations. Among the communities, the dimensions: (1) ecosystem and biodiversity tuan tanah (Land Owners), tuan air (Water Owners) and farmers protection; (2) agriculture diversity; (3) (both land-based farmers as well as seaweed farmers) are the main actors in determining the success of COMDEKS program. knowledge, learning and innovation; and (4) social and infrastructure justice. Based on Bingkai Indonesia’s assessment which gave birth to the CPLS Strategy in Indonesia, COMDEKS in Semau Island was then developed together with several NGOs from various expertise in Kupang. These NGOs then formed the COMDEKS Program Coalition to implement COMDEKS program in Semau. 6 COMDEKS CASE STUDY : SEMAU ISLAND INDONESIA COMDEKS CASE STUDY : SEMAU ISLAND INDONESIA 7 through an agreement between the landowner and the harvest product or monetary payment that do not burden the farmers. sharecropper and is determined when the farmer makes a request Land in Semau is distributed as clan lands which are managed by each to the landowner to work a certain plot of land. This request is clan. Clan land applies all the way to the coastline area. Therefore called Hol Hela Tamata, or