Strengthening Village and District Government Capacity in Natural Resource Management
Strengthening local governance and community capacity to promote sustainable natural resource management and forest conservation
5 min read
Integrating Environmental Conservation into Village Development Planning
Strengthening the capacity of village and district governments is an important step toward sustainable natural resource management, environmental conservation, and improved community livelihoods. Through the TFCA Kalimantan program, Yayasan Operasi Wallacea Terpadu (OWT) facilitated a range of initiatives to improve village governance, strengthen participatory planning, and promote sustainable management of natural resources in four assisted villages in Kelay Subdistrict, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan: Sidobangen, Lesan Dayak, Merapun, and Muara Lesan.
The program focused on five key areas: village development planning, participatory village mapping, village financial administration, resolution of village boundary issues, and strengthening local partners. These initiatives aimed to equip village governments and communities with the knowledge, skills, and institutional capacity needed to manage their territories and natural resources more effectively.
OWT supported the review and preparation of Village Medium-Term Development Plans (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Desa or RPJMDes) to ensure that environmental conservation and sustainable livelihood development were incorporated into village development priorities. The assistance included training village planning teams, facilitating village assessments, identifying local challenges and opportunities, and formulating development priorities through participatory processes.
As a result, village development planning began to accommodate a broader range of initiatives beyond infrastructure development, including agroforestry, ecotourism management, agrotourism, village drainage systems, and proposals for village forest designation. In Lesan Dayak, for example, the village government renovated the village pier to support visitors travelling by river to Sungai Lesan Protected Forest (HLSL). Village funds channelled through the Lesan Dayak Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMKam) also supported the preparation of homestay facilities and infrastructure.
Promoting Participatory Village Mapping
Participatory mapping was introduced to strengthen community involvement in identifying village boundaries, natural resources, land use, infrastructure, and local development potential. By involving communities directly in the mapping process, the initiative encouraged greater awareness of land and natural resource rights while strengthening the basis for village spatial planning and resource management.
OWT provided hands-on assistance to village governments and community members in practising mapping techniques, including the use of GPS. The resulting capacity-building process helped village officials apply previously acquired technical knowledge in practical settings. Village maps can serve as important references for identifying local assets, supporting village-owned enterprises, assessing investment opportunities, and planning land and water resource use, including irrigation, reservoirs, roads, and renewable energy infrastructure.
The initiative also aimed to strengthen the ability of village governments to conduct mapping independently, with future activities potentially funded through the Village Fund Allocation (Alokasi Dana Desa or ADD) in accordance with priorities established in the RPJMDes.
Improving Village Financial Administration
Effective and accountable village financial management is essential to ensuring that development funds are used transparently and efficiently. OWT therefore provided assistance to the four villages in strengthening their financial administration and management capacity.
The activities included strengthening the understanding of relevant regulations, financial management procedures, the roles and responsibilities of village officials and activity management teams, and the preparation of activity budgets (Rencana Anggaran Biaya or RAB). Participants were also introduced to bookkeeping formats and worked through practical financial management exercises, followed by assistance with village financial administration.
These efforts addressed challenges associated with limited administrative capacity and delays in financial reporting and fund realization. By improving financial management knowledge and administrative practices, the initiative sought to strengthen village governments' ability to manage development funds in support of governance, infrastructure, community development, and local economic empowerment.
Facilitating the Resolution of Village Boundaries
Clear and legally recognized village boundaries are essential for effective natural resource management, land-use planning, and the protection of community rights. However, boundary disputes remained a challenge in OWT's four assisted villages: Sidobangen, Muara Lesan, Lesan Dayak, and Merapun.
OWT supported efforts to facilitate dialogue and encourage the resolution of these issues in coordination with village governments and relevant district government agencies. The process included discussions with village representatives, field visits, the collection of coordinates at disputed boundary locations, and the use of available maps and local historical information to identify potential points of agreement.
The initiative also encouraged the development of clearer and more systematic approaches to boundary resolution, including the use of existing base maps and village history as references for discussion. OWT played a supporting role by providing information and encouraging villages to pursue agreements, while facilitating coordination with the relevant government institutions.
Clear village boundaries are expected to provide a stronger foundation for village spatial planning, land-use decisions, the identification of land ownership boundaries, and the management of communal resources.
Strengthening Local Partners for Long-Term Sustainability
Recognizing that project-supported initiatives need to continue beyond the project period, OWT also focused on strengthening local partners who could sustain community assistance and forest management activities in the long term.
One approach involved engaging members of local organizations as facilitators within the OWT project team. Through this experience, local partners gained practical exposure to socioeconomic and ecological studies, landscape and lifescape analysis, activity planning, community facilitation, financial administration, and reporting. This long-term, practical learning approach helped build their experience in implementing and supporting community-based programs.
OWT also facilitated institutional strengthening and legal formalization for local organizations. The local partners KSM Sepet Puri and Nemdoh Nemkay obtained notarial deeds from Moch. Zainal, S.H., numbered 2 and 3, respectively, dated 2 May 2019. Members of Nemdoh Nemkay were also involved in activities related to institutional administration, forest protection, forest restoration, seedling maintenance, ecosystem surveys, and ecotourism assistance. Meanwhile, with intensive support from OWT, KSM Makmur Jaya II was able to access funding from the TFCA Kalimantan Cycle IV grant program beginning in August 2018.
In addition, OWT conducted project proposal development training for local partners and village governments. The training covered problem analysis, problem and objective trees, outputs and outcomes, activity planning, logical frameworks, project timelines, organizational structures, and budget preparation. These skills were intended to improve participants' ability to develop project proposals and secure future funding for the continued management of Sungai Lesan Protected Forest.
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