Fore-sighting transformation and development: lessons learned in engaging multiple stakeholders to improve land use decisions in Indonesia

As one of the most populated tropical forest countries in the world, Indonesia faces huge challenges in balancing development, livelihood improvement of its citizens and conservation of its natural assets. The potential impact of large-scale landscape transformation is unclear but could present a major challenge as government struggle to mitigate the impacts of economic development and population growth, while maintaining ecosystem services. Traditional use of land is often seen as conflicting with companies and state-owned enterprises over land-use. The provincial and district spatial planning authorities design Land allocation zoning and land use planning for period of twenty years. Many stakeholders are not involved in the process. An important step in trying to improve the current situation is to make informed trade-offs by facilitating the implementation of a more collaborative land use planning and allocation process that benefit all parties, seeking to take into consideration environmental and social issues. We conducted research using an applied fore sighting approach called Participatory Prospective Analysis (PPA) for two regencies. This method allows anticipating changes in land use or development through scenario-based approach, by conducting a series of multi-stakeholders workshop. The PPA group of "experts" involved district government, local community, customary leaders, private sector, NGOs and local universities. Most important results were consensus on the identification of policies and social variables as key drivers and scenario building. Scenarios provide information to deal with challenges and future consequences of various LUC. It enabled decision makers to anticipate actions to achieve the desired economic and conservation goals. The study has shown that by increasing the participation and integration capacity of all stakeholders, they are able to contribute more effectively to a better foresight for the future development, use and management of their land. (Texte integral)