Village Forest licences (Hutan Desa) in West Kalimantan: Way forward for equity and land security?

• Village Forest licences are a good way to
secure communal rights against external
claims, and a viable strategy to retain control
of land, especially for non-indigenous
communities and long-term migrants.
• A Village Forest licence in its design does not
fully cover the complexity of customary adat
and traditional rights claimed by longhouses
and individuals and does not take into
consideration local specificities.
• There are many uncertainties about the
objectives and implications of the program.
• Without free, prior and informed consent,
risks of conflict between individual/group
interests and the intended role of the program
are higher.
• The process is entangled in conflicts over
contested village communities’ boundaries.
• Ownership of the responsibilities for
community-based forestry management is not
yet present at Forest Management Unit level.