PORTALJABAR, GARUT REGENCY - The Regional Secretary (Sekda) of Garut Regency, Nurdin Yana, officially opened the Integrated Area Development (IAD) Action Plan Preparation Meeting based on Social Forestry. This event was held at the Cimanuk Hall, Forestry Service Branch Office Region V, Jalan Ahmad Yani, Garut City, on Tuesday (11/19/2024).

The meeting was attended by representatives of related agencies, Islamic community organizations, and other stakeholders. The Garut Regional Secretary emphasized the importance of synergy between all parties to ensure that social forestry development runs effectively and sustainably, with the ultimate goal of improving the welfare of the people of Garut Regency.

In various ways, Nurdin emphasized the importance of optimizing the potential of social forestry in Garut Regency which reaches an area of 74 thousand hectares. He said that the management of the land must be carried out in an integrated manner through the IAD approach.

Participants were asked to create an action plan for the development of social forestry in Garut Regency, especially since on this occasion representatives from several related agencies and representatives from Islamic community organizations (Ormas) in Garut Regency were present.

"I asked earlier that I ordered the participants, the participants are serious in exploring what is being done today, pour out the brilliant ideas of our SKPD friends, include them in holistic planning, and also ensure that it can be budgeted, because everything is in the interests of the less fortunate people (especially) those in the forestry sector," said Nurdin.

He hopes that the IAD action plan will be able to support poverty alleviation and improve the welfare of communities living in social forestry areas.
"It can involve the community, the community that lives there in the forestry environment, so that it becomes a source of income for them, so that there is certainty of income which in connotation will also provide a level of welfare for them," he hoped.

Meanwhile, National Coordinator Forest Program V, Desy Emawati, explained that this program is a collaboration between the Indonesian Government and the German Government. In Indonesia, this program is implemented in four provinces and 4 districts, including Garut Regency. Through this program, Desy added, the German Government helps Indonesia to encourage the development of social forestry.

Desy explained that social forestry aims to provide management access to communities around forests with five schemes, namely Village Forests (HD), Customary Forests (HA), Community Plantation Forests (HTR), Community Forests (HKm), and Partnership Patterns.

"Today's activity is one of them how to develop social forestry across sectors," he said. This activity was developed with a cross-sector approach, involving the government, NGOs, community groups, the private sector, and the media within the Pentahelix framework.

Desy added that the IAD program will help local governments develop social forestry until 2026. She hopes that the relevant Regional Work Units (SKPD) within the Garut Regency Government can synergize their programs with the IAD program.

On the other hand, Desy stated that the project that they are working on will last until 2026, so that in the remaining time there will be a master plan for the IAD action plan in Garut Regency that will be approved.

"Everything is important because everything will certainly play a role and also provide responsibility and how the IAD that will be compiled can run well," he continued.

He also emphasized that the ownership of social forestry land to be developed is joint ownership, not owned by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry or the German Government.

"Ownership is shared, both government, universities, community groups, and the private sector. This is not just a document, but a living document that can be implemented for the advancement of the regional economy and the community around the forest area," concluded Desy. (Diskominfo Kab. Garut/Fauziah)