The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

Most people from Cempaka Baru do not possess a landcertificate for their property. Only 5% have a Surat KeteranganTanah (SKT) signed by the village head. Swidden agricultureareas and rubber gardens are owned individually, notcommunally. Individuals know the boundaries of their propertieswithout relying on clear physical markers. They use naturalfeatures such as rivers and large trees to mark the boundaries.So far, there have been no conflicts among the villagers over landboundaries. In addition to individual property, there is alsocommunal forest land owned by the village. The village has notestablished formal regulations for its utilization, but only villagersfrom Cempaka Baru are permitted to use it. The village also has aland use plan that divides the village land into settlements,agricultural areas, plantations, fisheries, graveyards, and publicfacilities.In general, community members would like to have adevelopment program without sacrificing their remainingforested lands. They prefer to have a program that can protecttheir forests while at the same time generating income toimprove their welfare.10. Telaga Pulang. Administratively, Telaga Pulang is within theDanau Sembuluh Subdistrict. It has two sub-­‐villages on eitherside of the Seruyan River, with a total of 6 hamlets. Thepopulation is 2,313 people, consisting of 1,305 men and 1,008women in 411 families. There are 1,754 people considered to beof working age. Almost all residents are Muslim, with only onepercent of families reported to be Christian. Ethnically, thevillagers are Banjar (50%), Dayak (45%), and other (5%).Fifty-­‐five percent of families earn their living from fishing andfarming, while the other 45% work for private companies(including oil palm) operating near the village. Daily income fromfishing is around IDR 45,000. Fifty percent of the families areconsidered poor because they earn less than IDR 30,000/day andhave roofs made of leaves on their houses.The land in the village is owned privately by individuals. Only20% of the families have registered their land with the village andreceived official documents in the form of SKT. About 5% of thevillage’s total area is communal forest land. The village has yet toset up a separate body to manage this land. The villagers do notuse forests for cultural or religious purposes. Basic needs met bylocal natural resources include protein (fish), water for bathing,drinking, and washing, fuel wood, and wood for construction.Other necessities, such as carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, andmedicines, are purchased.The village also has a cooperative bank called Koperasi Pare Itahwhich the members can use to save and borrow money.11. Baung. The village of Baung is located in the Seruyan HilirSubdistrict. It has one sub-­‐village with the same name and threehamlets (RT). Two are located along the riverbank while the thirdis farther south and inhabited by only three families. The totalpopulation is 2,015 people, comprising 992 women and 1223men in 250 families. 1,631 people are considered to be ofworking age. Ethnically, almost 90% of the families are Banjar, 9%Dayak, and 1% Javanese.Of the 250 families, 100 are considered poor either because theirdaily income is less than IDR 20,000 or because their houses arein very poor condition. These poor families receive direct cashassistance under a BLT program from the government. Farmingand fishing are the principal sources of income for 70% of thevillagers, while the remaining 30% work for the oil palm37