Conflict Management Approaches under Unclear Boundaries of the Commons: Experiences from Danau Sentarum National Park, West Kalimantan

Abstract

"Conflict in common pool resource management is ubiquitous. As a result, the call for conflict management has increased during the past decades. The 'ideal' goal in conflict management is to achieve positive changes and avoid unnecessary escalation to destructive levels. While it has been argued that the role of local institutions in conflict management is central, little is known about how these institutions could actually deal with conflict. In this paper, we highlight how local institutions respond to the various inter-settlement conflicts over the issue of unclear resource boundaries in Danau Sentarum National Park (DNSP). We discuss conflict management approaches taken by the Dayak and the Malay ethnic groups in response to forestry and fishery conflicts and consider their effectiveness. We also demonstrate how customary laws are used in conflict management. We identify gaps in these approaches and discuss several possible ways forward. We argue that enhancing communication and developing a mechanism of exchange among various ethnic groups will allow better understanding of different and often contradicting customary laws. We also propose a kind of co-management arrangement among stakeholders (e.g. park management, local people, governments and NGOs) to ensure the sustainability of the park and to constructively manage the ever increasing conflict among these stakeholders."