The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

Similar to the other villages along Seruyan River, land is ownedindividually in the village, but there is also a 500 ha communalforest used to meet the villagers’ subsistence needs for timber.The village has organized villagers into two farmer groups(Sepakat and Bahandep).7. Ulak Batu. Ulak Batu used to be part of Telaga Pulang village.The name Ulak Batu was chosen by an official from the BangkalSubdistrict in 1965 because he thought that Ulak Batu hadenough people to become a separate village. It is now underDanau Sembuluh Subdistrict administration. The village bordersParen village to the north, with Sembuluh to the east, Palingkauto the south and the Project Area to the west.The population is 181 people, comprising 89 women and 92 menin roughly 70 families. Most of the villagers are of Dayak Nadjuand Banjar descent, and the vast majority are Muslim. Theyspeak Pembuang, Banjar, and Indonesian.Before the 1990s, the villagers practiced logging and thereforerelied on the forest as their source of cash income. Beginning inthe late 1990s with the Ministry of Forestry operation to combatillegal logging, however, it has been difficult for them to find cashincome. They initially shifted to fishing, but they now facedifficulty with seasonal uncertainty, flooding, and thedegradation of the Seruyan River. It is therefore difficult forthem to meet their basic needs.8. Palingkau. Palingkau was established in 1977, and it iscurrently under Danau Sembuluh Subdistrict administration. It isinhabited by 168 people, 77 women and 91 men, in 43 families.Most of the villagers are Dayak Nadju or Banjar, and all areMuslim. They speak Pembuang, Banjar, and Indonesian.The village borders Ulak Batu village to the north, Sembuluh tothe east, Cempaka Baru to the south and the Project Area to thewest.Ninety percent of the families earn their living from fishing in theSeruyan River. The fish they catch include baung, jelawat,haruan, biyawan, tapah, and kemancung. In addition to fishingin the Seruyan River, they also make some “keramba” foraquaculture. Farmed species include bakut, jelawat, toman,baung and haruan.9. Cempaka Baru. Cempaka Baru is one of the villages under theadministration of the Danau Sembuluh Subdistrict. It containsone dusun (subvillage), also called Cempaka Baru, with twohamlets (RTs). The village was established in 1963. Prior to beingnamed Cempaka Baru, it was called Danau Pepundak. Thepopulation consists of 566 people in 133 families. Approximately360 of the villagers are of working age. Three quarters of thetotal population are Dayak, and the other quarter is Banjar. All ofthe villagers are Muslim. Of the 133 families, 70 are considered“poor” – a term locally defined as families whose house roofing ismade of leaves or whose daily income is less than IDR 30,000.The village has formal (village governance) and informal(women’s group/PKK, youth group/Karang Taruna) institutions,although the informal institutions are no longer active. Thevillage also has a cooperative bank, and all members of thecooperative can deposit money and borrow from the bank.To meet their basic needs, the villagers depend on rivers forprotein (fish) and on the forest for construction material and fuelwood. They did not indicate which forest they utilize.36