Six Integrated Customary Forests in the Regional Spatial Planning Regulation of Central Sulawesi 2023-2042^[1]

Author: Amran Tambaru

Up to now, there are 6 (six) Customary Forests in the Province of Central Sulawesi that have been designated by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. These six Customary Forests are: (1) Wana Posangke Customary Forest, North Morowali; (2) Marena Customary Forest, Sigi; (3) Huakaa Topo Ada To Masewo Customary Forest, Sigi; (4) Suaka Katuwua To Lindu Customary Forest, Sigi; (5) Ngata Toro Customary Forest, Sigi; and (6) Moa Customary Forest, Sigi. There is still much work to be done to ensure that the designated Customary Forests are truly beneficial and provide guarantees for indigenous communities over their customary territories.

In early 2023, the Central Sulawesi Provincial Government pushed for a revision of the Regional Spatial Planning Regulation (RTRW) for the years 2013-2033. This RTRW has passed the first 5 (five) years of its implementation. The acceleration of this regulation revision is based on several factors, namely the earthquake disaster on September 28, 2018, with a scale of 7.4 M that caused a tsunami and liquefaction, the Covid-19 pandemic, and regulatory changes at the national level.

In the development of discussions on this regulation revision, the existence of Customary Forests is not mentioned at all in the spatial pattern. This is evident from the draft regulation text. Whereas previously, the Head of the Spatial Planning Agency of Central Sulawesi at the Workshop on Customary Forest Inclusivity: Adapting spatial regulation for optimizing the revision of Central Sulawesi RTRWP in Palu on November 10, 2021, stated that the nomenclature of Customary Forests is found in two articles in the draft text, namely the first Article 32 which states: “The provincial protected designation area as referred to in Article 31 paragraph (1) letter a covering approximately 3,841,180 hectares consists of: … e. Customary Forest areas” and the second Article 37 which states: “Customary Forest areas as referred to in Article 32 letter e, are located in the Marena Customary Forest area in Sigi Regency, Topo Ada To Masewo Customary Forest area in Sigi Regency, and Wana Posangke Customary Forest area in North Morowali Regency.”

Based on the above, the Red and White Foundation (YMP) together with civil society organizations under the coalition KARAMHA (Advocacy Coalition for the Recognition of Customary Community Rights) advocated for the formation of this regulation. The goal is to ensure that Customary Forest areas are included in the Central Sulawesi RTRW.

The advocacy carried out from February to June 2023 successfully ensured the inclusion of Customary Forests in the Central Sulawesi RTRW. On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in the Main Hall of the Central Sulawesi Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD Sulteng), the Plenary Meeting of the 3rd year of the 4th session ratified the Draft Regional Regulation into Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Regional Spatial Planning of Central Sulawesi for the years 2023-2042.

This Central Sulawesi RTRW regulation has accommodated the presence of Customary Forest areas as part of the provincial strategic areas (KSP) from the perspective of social and cultural interests [Article 57]. In addition, some inputs to the draft regulation, such as the phrase “strict supervision,” have been removed from all articles, and the addition of definitions of Customary Communities and customary territories in Chapter 1 of the general provisions.

[1] Summarized from the Final Policy Advocacy Report: Integration of Customary Forests in the Spatial Planning of Central Sulawesi Province, Red and White Foundation, June 2023