THE AGROFORESTRY OF EAST KALIMANTAN

Darwin Chaniago and Roostiny Ch., Budi Daya Alam Foundation

The regional development of rural towns carved from virgin forest in East Kalimantan and the consequences experienced during the period of Repelita III to the early Repelita V are studied in this paper. An overview and history of development efforts in East Kalimantan Province and the primary objectives at the national, provincial and distric level are given as being basically to eradicate poverty and breakdown segregation and the un balance of socio-economic distribution by developing agroforestry in agricultural buffer areas the small rural areas cut from the jungle.

The selected economic crops both for local demand and commodity export developed in this area include sugar cane, coffee, pepper, clove. The five sub-regional development areas of East Kalimantan’s boundary projects highlight several development principles. The area concerned are Udjoh Bilang of the Long Bagun Distric in the west center, Long Bawan of Kerayan Distric in the north center, Mensalong of Lumbis Distric as the center of Sabah boundary and Nunukan of Nunukan Distric in the north coastal center.

Success results from the use of interdisciplinary central planning and integrated rural development approaches in order to develop a region. Not understanding of both social and ecological effects leads to problems. Agroforestry development is successful when special attention is given to allocate the new land to landless and poor income families. The rural development has successfully increased the number of population, improved infrastructure, transportation, helath, and raised income and career quality of families. Unticipated effects have occurred regarding the population, physical environment, aborigine people and socio-economy.

Despite large expenditures to developed the rural areas with some infrastructure and giving land to qualified poor, the population has not grown as expected. In the early stages of development, extensive erosion of valuable top soil, silting of rivers as well as dying off of forest at development site edges occurred and problems of forest fire caused by shifting cultivation araised. The virgin forests are inhabited by aborigine people, who have been displaced and whose culture, was disrupted by the rural development schemes.

Socio-economic goals have not been fully met in such as the unbalance of economic and population distribution, elimination of poverty, attractionof small bussiness to rural boundary towns, although large progress has been achieved. Recommendation incuding training more local environmental professionals for input into the planning process in order to minimize the environtment impact of development and in order to increase public awareness of the environmental problems. To developed basic infrastructure and investment in rural towns will take more time and should be considered in the Repelita on provincial level and further discussed in the Rakorbang Tingkat II. More research on preservation of natural conservation areas and natural resources within a development site is needed. Making capital more available will encourage small bussiness and industries to invest in the rural boundary towns especially in the northern coastal area of Nunukan and Sebatik.