Land Use and Spatial Policy Conflicts in a Rich-Biodiversity Rain Forest Region: The Case of Jambi Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Jambi is one of the provinces in Indonesia with rainforests that support a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. However, in the last two decades, Jambi Province has been experiencing rapid deforestation, expansion of monoculture plantation crops (especially palm oil and rubber), mining activities, and other types of natural resource exploitation. Various forms of anthropogenic disasters such as floods, peat subsidence, and forest fires have become more frequent in this region. Another serious problem is the conflict between different land use policies, especially governmental policies, land grabbing, and encroachment of forest and conservation areas. The objectives of this study are: (1) to overlay the existing land use maps over maps of the regional spatial plan, mining concession areas, and forest status, and (2) to analyze the land use and policy conflicts as well as their consequences. More than 2.2 million hectares (ha), or approximately 44.6% of land in Jambi province, which is located outside the forest area, is abandoned or is unproductive. Approximately 96% or more of the protected area (834,800 ha) is still maintained in accordance with its function. The space use conflicts mainly occur in the form of policy disagreements between the government institutions, namely between central government institutions of spatial planning, forestry, agriculture, as well as energy and mining. Furthermore, conflicts have also occurred because of the disagreement of local communities with the policies of the central government, local governments, and corporations (mostly mining and agricultural companies).