Land Property Rights and Coastal Resource Management: A Perspective of Community Based Mangrove Conservation in Indonesia

Abstract

"The coastal areas generally have a greater diversity of ecosystems associated with a complex array of natural resources that provide both economic good and services. Due to the large-scale amenity values of coastal ecosystems and resources, coastal areas are densely populated. The scale of human activity has increased over time, so that the pressures of human activities on natural ecosystems and coastal resources are large and multifarious, with clear implications for the loss of various natural resources and destruction of coastal ecosystems. The deterioration of mangrove forests and their ecosystem is currently one of the most important and urgent environmental issues in coastal areas of Indonesia. Human settlement, expansion of agricultural or salt-making lands, development of coastal industries, and more recently, expansion of coastal aquaculture, have caused the damage of mangrove forests. It is remarkable noted that the local people in coastal area of South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia have succeeded in rehabilitating the coastal environments by their own initiatives through mangrove conservation and management. The local people of Sinjai District expanded the mangrove plantation of about 32 ha since 1980s and the mangrove plantation has also generated potential lands for local peoples livelihoods. The President of the Republic of Indonesia has awarded an Environmental Prize called Kalpataru in 1995 to the community group, ACI, Aku Cinta Indonesia or I Love Indonesia for their achievement in mangrove conservation and management as well as rehabilitation for coastal environments. Since then, conflicts between local government and local people in terms of property rights of the artificially established mangroves and lands were taken place. The local people have recognized de facto ownership of the established mangroves and lands, however, the government have not yet approved the property rights of the local people. This study shows that mangrove conservation and management requires the long-term maintenance for 10 to 15 years until their products could be harvested and local people participation is highly needed in maintaining the mangroves. To involve the local people, economic benefits derived from the mangroves should be taken into consideration by providing the property rights of their artificially established mangroves and lands."