The Effectiveness of Community Empowerment in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP): A Case from Model Desa Konservasi (MDK) at Sukaraja and Kubu Perahu, Lampung

Abstract

Deforestation and degradation caused by encroachment area are the greatest threats to conservation of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP) as the third-largest protected area in Sumatera. Meanwhile, many aspects related to those threats with social phenomena such as what drives people to fullfil their need and its impact to their conservation behavior cannot be separated from its management. Community has an important role in conservation, they are not only being a threat but also a potential resource. Community empowerment then become a key point. Empowering community is not just to stop the damage but directed as an effort to provide opportunities, convenience and facilitation of the people living surrounding conservation areas. In accordance with those purpose, the empowerment considered to be effective by the increase of community involvement and self-reliance. This term of effectiveness then refers to sense of willingness to be able to develop their knowledge, awareness and skills, in order to utilize the natural resources for the welfare and conservation in the fields of ecological, economic, social and cultural. Model Desa Konservasi (MDK) is a form of community empowerment-based-economy and conservation conducted in BBSNP. MDK is an effort to improve community access, mutual roles and functions of the national park toward its preservation and community welfare. Understanding its process and impact are the most important step relating to BBSNP conservation and its management especially for designing the most appropriate approach to apply. This study has three main objectives that include the following: (1) to analyze the effectiveness of community empowerment through MDK; (2) to analyze the factors correlated with effectiveness of community empowerment; and (3) to analyze enhancement of community empowerment approach that could ensure its effectiveness. This study was conducted at Sukaraja and Kubu Perahu, Lampung, as a buffer zone and enclave of BBSNP from February to October 2012. The study was design using survey method. The analysis used in this study were: (1) descriptive statistic by using distribution frequency and Mann Whitney non parametric test; (2) inferencial statistic by using Rank Spearman correlation. Analysis helped by SPSS 20.0 software. The result showed that community participations are in low level and community self-reliance was categoryzed in good level. Socio-demogaphic characteristic (formal education, training, income, land ownership, membership in community group, etnic, and information reveal) and another factors like community interaction and acess to BBNSP (community involvement and their acces, dependence toward BBSNP, and perceived direct benefit to BBSNP) have very significant positif correlation on the effectiveness of community empowerment due to community participation and self-reliance. Meanwhile, another factors such as age, livelihoods and household size doesn’t show any correlation with. Empowerment approach (understanding, organizational, facilitators, assistance, form of empowerment activity, and monitoring and evaluation) have a very significant positive correlation with the effectivenees of community empowerment. Understanding of community characteristics and their correlation with BBNSP and applying the most appropriate approach have relevancy to be priority and the most important point at once to improve the effectiveness of MDK empowerment program in BBSNP. The effectiveness can be increased by improving training, strengthening group, community understanding toward empowerment, facilitator’s capacity, assistance process, networking and patnership, empowerment activity proportion due to local conditions and it’s needs, and continuous monitoring and evaluation.