New Idea for National Park Zoning System: a Synthesis between Biodiversity Conservation and Customary Community's Tradition (original) (raw)

The objectives of this research is to develop such policies for park zonation that amalgamating the national-global interests for conservation on the one side and the customary community interests on the other side. More specifically, this research is directed for developing new criteria for park zonation that integrating conservation policies and regulations with indigenous knowledge. Two national parks i.e. the Wasur National Park and the Kayan Mentarang National Park that have overlapping areas with customary territories were studied. The field research was carried out in relations with participatory planning activities for park zonation that conducted from October 2008 to July 2011. Literatures review, in-depth interviews, field observations as well as participant observations during park zonation process are fields methods applied for data collections. Three important findings are found. First, the sustainable use of natural resource would be in place where customary community still keeps their traditional way of life particularly that in relations to conservation. Second, so far the park zonation policy does not take into account the values, norms and livelihoods of the customary community. Third, the regulations and criteria for park zonation hinder the traditional access and control of customary community over national park. The last two mentioned factors could potentially create conflicts between customary community and parks. Through spatial analysis and participatory planning carried out in the two national parks studied, zones that integrating or amalgamating indigenous knowledge and conservation policy and regulations can be produced. Five genuine zones are produce from this process i.e. cultural core zone, customary wilderness zone, the multi use zone, historical, cultural and religious zone and the traditional use zone. The first four mentioned zones are produced through amalgamation processes. However, the last zone is produced through similar requirements address in the Decree of the Minister of Forestry No P.56/Menhut-II/2006. Hence, it can be said that park zonation process that could integrating or amalgamating indigenous knowledge and biodiversity conservation policy and regulations are conservation policies that built upon the customary community perspective.