The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

company. On average, farmers and fishermen can earn IDR35,000/day. The farmers tap rubber, jelutung (Dyera costulata),and gembor (raw material used for mosquito repellent).To meet their basic needs, villagers rely heavily on cashpurchases from markets in the Seruyan District or other nearbyvillages. Natural resources used to meet basic needs includeriver water for drinking, bathing, and washing, fish for protein,and fuel wood from the remaining forests.There are three economic institutions in the village, the KoperasiUsaha Mandiri (an oil palm-­‐plasma cooperative that is not activeyet), the Mekar Sari Farmer Group (a World Education-­‐facilitatedgroup focusing on agricultural activities), and Subur MandiriFarmer Group (a Forestry Service Office program for plantingrubber (Hevea braziliensis) and jelutung (Dyera costulata)).The village has a land use plan that separates the land accordingto functions, including the following categories: settlement(housing), village office facility, agricultural land, plantation,fishery, and public facilities (e.g. school and medical center).Each individual has private land for farming or settling. No onehas official documentation to prove ownership, but there isconsensus on property boundaries. Land conflicts amongvillagers have yet to occur, although there have been someconflicts with individuals from the neighboring village.Seventy percent of the total area of the village is reported to beforest land, which makes it communal property.12. Jahitan. Jahitan is another village under the administrationof the Seruyan Hilir Subdistrict. This village was established farbefore Indonesian independence in 1945. It consists of only 1dusun with 2 hamlets on either side of the Seruyan River. Thepopulation totals 477 people, including 269 men and 208 womenin 133 families. There are 335 individuals of working age. Mostof the villagers are Dayak (95%), with some Banjar (4%) andJavanese (1%). All are Muslim.Sixty percents of the families work for the oil palm plantationbelonging to PT. Gawe Bahandep Sawit Mekar, while the other40% are farmers and fishermen. This latter group earns IDR35,000/day on average. Of the 133 families, only 11 areconsidered poor and receive BLT (Bantuan Langsung Tunai, CashDirect Aid) from the government.The villagers meet their carbohydrate, vitamin, mineral, andmedicinal needs by cash purchases in markets or neighboringvillages. They still depend on local natural resources to meetbasic needs for water, protein, construction materials, and fuelwood. They do not have any cultural relations to the forest.Jahitan has one formal institution, the village government (villagehead, village representative body, village secretary and otherofficials). The only informal institution identified was the farmergroup, Mardi Rukun, which is facilitated by the Forestry ServiceOffice for planting rubber and jelutung.The village has developed a land use system that divides thevillage area into the following functions: housing, agricultural,fishery, plantation, public facilities, village office, and graveyard.Seventy percent of the families have registered their land withthe village head to obtain their SKT. The village still has a lot offorested land, which is considered communal property.Regulations for using these forests have yet to be developed, butin principle every individual in the village has access to it.38