Biodiversity Conservation Network
6. Eco-Tourism in the Rain Forest of Western Java
Location: Gunung Halimun National Park, West Java, Indonesia Partners: Biological Science Club (BScC)
Gunung Halimun National Park (PHPA)
McDonald's Indonesia Family Restaurants
Wildlife Preservation Trust International
Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Studies, University of IndonesiaProject Title: Development of Local Enterprises in and around Gunung Halimun National Park, West Java BCN Funding: $415,256 Partner Contribution: $35,250
Grant Period: December 1, 1995 - November 30, 1998
Project Overview
Gunung Halimun National Park (GHNP), established in 1992 by the Government of Indonesia, contains the largest tract of remaining primary lowland forest in Java. GHNP is home to 23 mammal species, at least two of which, the Javan gibbon and the grizzled langur, are endemic and endangered. The Park also supports 156 bird species, of which 18 are endemic, and over 500 plant species. Indigenous Kasepuhan and other Sudanese communities live in and around the park and depend heavily on its natural resources. The park protects an important watershed for Java. GHNP's resources, however, are threatened by small-holder and plantation agriculture, infrastructure development, small-scale gold mining, and unsustainable fuel wood and non-timber forest product harvesting.To counter these threats, BScC is working with local communities to develop an ecotourism enterprise and conservation awareness program geared to attracting more domestic and international visitors from nearby Jakarta. The project also offers the opportunity to work with the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHPA) on allowable access and use of resources in protected areas. GHNP's proximity to Jakarta is providing project partners and local communities the opportunity to tap into a large and growing market of domestic and international ecotourists, and at the same time targeting a significant segment of western Javanese society for conservation awareness and education. McDonald's Corporation's active involvement in the project represents a unique opportunity to get private sector support and resources behind a conservation effort in Indonesia.
1996 Accomplishments
The tourism guest houses are nearing completion - those located in the north and south entries of Gunung Halimun Park are scheduled to be completed in October 1996 and the one in the eastern section by November 1996. The project has also been increasing its marketing activities. The project decided that its first priority was to publish promotion materials such as leaflets, posters, and trekking maps. Those materials are now under preparation and are scheduled to be published in October 1996.There has also been progress in project monitoring activities. Since both methodology and implementation of the activities needed to be simplified, an updated monitoring plan was created. The first three months following the June 7 and 8, 1996 Monitoring Workshop included the collection of baseline data for the biological, enterprise and, in particular, socio-economic monitoring dimensions.
Finally, planning is underway for a Regional Workshop with local Government Agencies, Universities, Plantations, and other stakeholders that will be held in January 1997 in cooperation with the Park Administration.
Success Stories
Handicrafts purchased by visitors are important as remembrances brought from destinations they visit. In addition, handicrafts can also play a significant role in building a positive, distinctive image for travel destinations, especially when they appear in unique and beautiful forms. In Halimun, local communities surrounding the Park have produced a number of unique handicrafts made chiefly from bamboo and rattan materials, such as basket, rattan handbags, hats, and traditional household tools. Handicrafts thus far have been produced chiefly to meet the demands particularly from local buyers. These businesses are definitely small scale, and cannot, for the medium term at least, become the main source of household income.Nevertheless, it is clear to see that this activity can be a good source of income if the local people's perhaps underutilized skills can be established (among new handicraft workers) and improved upon (among those already producing handicrafts). As part of project efforts for strengthening local capacity to produce marketable handicraft products, the project provided local people with two weeks training by experienced bamboo and rattan artists from Tasik Malaya (Paperts). Many varieties of new designs were taught, along with a better system for product management. The results from the training have been fantastic. It has been amazing to witness how the local people's skills have been improved, resulting in much better quality handicraft products being created. In the coming months, we will build upon this particular project success, and plan for taking the next steps in marketing these handicrafts.
Challenges
A major challenge faced by the project in the current year was local community capacity to meet the project objectives in enterprise development. The low standard of education possessed by the majority of local community members required outside assistance (particularly from project staffs) to a greater degree than was initially anticipated. Because of this circumstance, more technical assistance, guidance as well as attention had to be given by Field Managers in all three project activity sites. Considering this situation, Field Managers most likely will be assigned as temporary enterprise managers until the community members have enough ability to run the business themselves.Training also had to be conducted at a slower rate than anticipated. As a result of our observations, we now feel that many trainings should be repeated with follow-ups in order to ensure that the new ideas, concepts, and practices become cemented in the participants.
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