Reply from AusAID about the Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership

PHOTO Credit: Gekko Studio.

On 24 February 2011, Yayasan Petak Danum, (Water Land Foundation, an NGO in Central Kalimantan), wrote to the Australian Delegation that was then visiting the Australian-funded Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership. Two months later, they received a reply from AusAID, posted in full below in English and available here in Indonesian.

The letter from Yayasan Petak Danum was posted on REDD-Monitor here: “Community concerns with the Kalimantan Forest and Climate Partnership: No rights, No KCFP.” An interesting discussion followed the post.

The reply from AusAID and the translation to Indonesian are also available on Forest People Programme’s website.

AusAID’s letter is largely an attempt to placate the critics of the project. Few of the points raised by Yayasan Petak Danum (YPD) are acknowledged to be genuine points of concern about the project. In its letter, YPD wrote, “we appeal to your delegation to urge the Australian Government to withhold funding from the KFCP project until the issues raised in this letter are resolved.” AusAID ignored this appeal, presumably on the grounds that it considers the issues raised by YPD either to be resolved or to be in the process of being resolved.

AusAID also ignored YPD’s suggestion for international aid agencies working on REDD:

to work with the Indonesian Government to rescind existing concessions in carbon rich forests and peatlands and impose an effective moratorium on future conversion concessions of natural forests whilst providing incentives to protect forests and to support low-carbon human and economic development initiatives.

The criticism is clear. Unless the destruction caused by existing and proposed concessions in carbon rich forests and peatlands is stopped, REDD in Indonesia will be little more than a series of protected areas. Yet AusAID ignores this criticism, stating instead that “KFCP is designed to demonstrate methods and approaches, that when scaled up, can form part of a national approach with sub-national implementation of REDD+.” The obvious problem with this is that the underlying causes of forest destruction remain unaddressed.

Australian Embassy
Jakarta

20 April 2011

Muliadi S.E.
Executive Director
Yayasan Petak Danum Kalimantan Tengah
Jl A. Yani Gang V, No. 102
RT VIII Kelurahan Selat Hilir-Kecamatan Selat 73513 Kuala Kapuas
Kabupaten Kuala Kapuas-Kalimantan Tengah

Dear Pak Muliadi S.E.,

RE: Community Concerns with the KFCP

Thank you for your letter of 24 February 2011 regarding the Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership (KFCP) and its engagement with communities in Central Kalimantan. I note both the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and the Minister for Foreign Affairs’ receipt of the letter.

As you are aware the KFCP is one of the most advanced large-scale REDD+ demonstration activities of its kind in Indonesia. It aims to demonstrate a credible, equitable and effetive approach to REDD+, which can inform the development of a REDD+ mechanism as part of a post-2012 climate change agreement. In doing so, the KFCP is supporting improvements to livelihoods for local communities. It is also generating valuable lessons to inform the establishment of Indonesia’s national REDD+ architecture, international negotiations on REDD+ in the UNFCCC and Indonesia’s engagement in REDD+ globally.

Before addressing the specific points raised in your letter I would like to note that KFCP teams have undertaken extensive community consultation to ensure a wide range of community views have been incorporated into the design and implementation of the activity. I am also grateful for the contribution YPD has made to the KFCP in supporting the community mapping activities, which were provided to the district government to assist in village development planning.

KFCP staff have been consulting with communities since early 2009 at village and sub-district level, with facilitators living in all villages in the KFCP working area since March 2010. At the community level, the KFCP has been stringent in its efforts to respect customary rights. In addition KFCP has been in regular communication with local customary leaders as well as the Central Kalimantan chapter of the Indonesian Alliance of Customary Communities (AMAN) to seek advice on how the KFCP can strengthen its work at the community level. Furthermore, a gender and safeguards advisor has recently begun work with the KFCP team to further strengthen the project’s work in these areas.

With regard to the specific points you raise:

1. Biased reporting

• KFCP staff are not paid any performance bonus as suggested in your letter. We do not believe their reporting is distorted.

• We agree that lessons learned from this demonstration activity will depend on the provision of accurate and reliable information. Information is drawn from the field staff as well as independent analysis of achievements of the project. We are looking at ways to ensure that this analysis is incorporated into national level REDD+ discussions.

2. Lack of recognition and respect for customary (Indigenous) rights

• All Australian Government official development assistance to Indonesia is undertaken in partnership with the Government of Indonesia. We do not agree with the assertion that this government to government partnership implies any disregard or disrespect for customary (or other) rights.

• It is Australian Government policy that overseas activities funded by the Australian Government must adhere to international human rights obligations, including those set out under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

• Through the KFCP, we are working to empower local communities to manage their own land and forest resources, not to take forests away from communities. As a government-to-government REDD+ demonstration activity, KFCP makes no claim to land or resources. The Australian Government will not receive any tradable carbon credits from the KFCP activity.

3. Lack of recognition of customary Dayak wisdom

• KFCP is working to empower communities to manage their own lands and forest resources and many of the KFCP staff and partner organisations are Dayak including Ngaju Dayak, themselves.

• We agree traditional wisdom is a valuable source of knowledge that helps to inform the sustainable management of forests.

4. Missing the big picture of destruction

• KFCP is designed to demonstrate methods and approaches, that when scaled up, can form part of a national approach with sub-national implementation of REDD+. It cannot tackle larger-scale problems in isolation, but aims to inform potential solutions to these problems.

• KFCP is part of the broader suite of efforts by the Government of Indonesia, communities, donors, NGOs and others to make REDD+ work nationally and internationally.

• We are looking at ways in which lessons learned from KFCP can contribute to the REDD+ pilot province initiative currently being progressed by the national REDD+ Taskforce. The KFCP will also contribute to the rehabilitation of the ex-mega rice project area.

5. Absence of effective community consultation and engagement; lack of community input in design

• Full and effective consultation with local communities has been the primary focus of intitial activities under the KFCP. Physical interventions such as canal blocking and reforestation have only taken place following extensive community consultation. This will continue to be the case for future activities.

• Participation in KFCP by communities is voluntary, and the KFCP si undertaking significant capacity building at the community level to promote a comprehensive understanding of REDD+ and the KFCP. Since the design phase in 2009 consultation and participation in the design of interventions have covered climate change, peatland ecology, REDD+, sustainable management of forests, livelihood improvements, community development, and other issues of interest to the communities, as well as the purpose and activities of KFCP.

• All interventions on community lands are planned with the participation of community members, including by formal musyawarah desa (community consultation); and are guided by government-endorsed village development plans (RPJP and RPJM Des).

• According to the provincial development planning agency (Bappeda Tk I), the seven villages in the KFCP area are among the very first in Central Kalimantan to produce medium-term development plans (RPJM Des), which KFCP facilitated.

• As the KFCP is a demonstration activity, the design of interventions is ongoing and subject to evaluation and adjustments in accordance with ongoing community consultation. Since mid-2009, sixteen community engagement staff have been employed to inform communities about REDD+, the objectives of KFCP and to facilitate community engagement in activity design and planning processes. Ongoing training is provided to KFCP staff and consultants to ensure community engagement is relevant and, where necessary, improved.

6. Lack of understanding of REDD

• We agree that REDD+ is complicated. While a broad framework for REDD+ was agreed at the 2010 UNFCCC negotiations in Cancun, many of its implementation modalities have still to be developed and agreed. Consequently, few people have a thorough understanding of what REDD+ is and how it will work.

• However, the critical need is for people to understand the specific interventions, commitments, and benefits that will affect their communities if they agree to work in partnership with the KFCP, and we are making every effort to ensure this.

• We will continue to work with stakeholders to build their understanding of REDD+ and related issues. In doing so, we welcome constructive input from interested partners and stakeholders, such as YPD, to assist in raising awareness by providing a complete, well balanced, and accurate picture of REDD+.

7. Lessons learned not captured (cf. point 1, biased reporting)

• Reporting of lessons learned is indeed very important and the project is conducting participatory assessments of all key activities with the communities involved. The first livelihood activities in two villages have been evaluated by an independent team managed by staff from the University of Palangka Raya (UNPAR) and YTS a local NGO. Documentation of this evaluation is currently underway.

• A similar independent evaluation has been designed for the two pilot payment activities (for reforestation) and will be implemented by staff from UNPAR. Other evaluations will be conducted as key activities are completed. However, field activities begun only recently and lessons are still emerging. These evaluations will help us understand the perceptions and impacts on all segments of the community and to improve KFCP processes accordingly.

• The KFCP has facilitated village development plans in all seven villages in the project’s area (cf. point 5) in which community members elaborated their desires for improvement in livelihoods, infrastructure, human services, and land and forest management.

8. No confidence in the international NGOs contracted to implement the pilot project

• Our implementing partners were selected based on their strong past performance and experienced staff, many of who are from the area are native Ngaju speakers. We are confident in their ability to carry out their duties in a professional manner.

• We acknowledge that there have been differences between some NGOs and sections of the community in the past, based on conflicting goals.

• In some instances NGO partners are contracted and in others the KFCP has seconded NGO staff, on a merit basis, to work directly for the KFCP in instances where it has proven more effective to do so.

• The Central Kalimantan Peatland Project (CKPP) made important contributions to our knowledge of peatland rehabilitation and raised international awareness of the issue. the lessons learned from CKPP partners have helped to inform the KFCP design and activities. Effective consultation and acceptance will be obtained by communities for all interventions.

• YPD assisted KFCP in some villages to undertake the community mapping which is used as the basis for determining which areas and which villages are suitable for rehabilitation activities on the deep peat. In addition to seconded staff from NGOs, KFCP has engaged specialist expertise in hydrology, reforestation, silviculture and rehabilitation to support these activities and ensure the work is undertaken to a high scientific standard.

9. No confidence in the Community Facilitators

• We have full confidence int he work of KFCP’s community facilitators, who have achieved a great deal in gaining the trust and partnership of communities. They are dedicated professionsals who work long hours, often under difficult conditions. Most of the community facilitators originate from the project area and are native Ngaju speakers.

• Community facilitators are seconded from CARE, an international NGO with a reputation for excellence in community development with over 10 years of experience operating in Central Kalimantan.

In conclusion, KFCP is soon to commence a social and environmental assessment that will contribute to further development of robust standards and procedures for the KFCP to, inter alia, support community consultation and engagement. We would welcome the involvement of YPD int his process.

AusAID shares YPD’s goal of assisting communities to restore their lands and repair the damage done by the mega rice project, fire and illegal logging. KFCP is aiming to provide incentives, including financial incentives, that will encourage communities and government stakeholders to manage their forests and lands in a manner that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. In trialing a market based approach to REDD+, we are seeking to create the conditions to attract sustainable funding streams for sustainable land management that provides real and enduring benefits to local communities. I look forward to continued collaboration with YPD on the KFCP on activities of mutual interest, as agreed in November 2010.

Yours sincerely

Jacqui De Lacy
Minister-Counsellor and Senior Representative
AusAID