How do forest-dwelling people cope with catastrophe in a changing landscape? The role forests can play as ‘emergency supplies’ in times of hardship is little documented and the work presented here, based on research in the Malinau district of Kalimantan, Indonesia, is among the first studies with forest-dependent communities in Southeast Asia. CIFOR researcher Nining Liswanti gave this presentation at the 18th International Symposium on Society & Resource Management (ISSRM) held on 17–21 June 2012 at the University of Alberta, Canada. The main theme of the conference was ‘Linking North and South: Responding to Environmental Change’, and 350 participants from 50 countries came together to discuss the intersection of social issues and natural resource management.

1. ISSRM CONFERENCE, EDMONTON, JUNE 17-21, 2012
Falling back on forests: how forest-dwelling people cope
with catastrophe in a changing landscape
N. LISWANTI, D. SHEIL, I. BASUKI, M. PADMANABA and G. MULCAHY
International Forestry Review Vol.13(4), 2011

2. Outline
 Background
 Study Area
 Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 Implications and Conclusion

3. Background
 Forest-dependent people
 Working with communities
for a decade and
documented 1500 useful
species
 Forest provide important
resources, land, and
opportunity for livelihood

4. Category of use of forest
Food Medicine Boat construction Heavy construction Fire
wood
Light construction Tools Marketable Basketry Ornament/ritu
items als
Hunting equipment Hunting place Future Recreation

5. Problems
 Natural hazards (flood) frequently
occur
 Does people’s reliance on forest
change in times of disaster?
 A flash flood in 2006 in Malinau
watershed

6. Objectives
 Do disasters influence people’s
reliance on the forest?
 What livelihood factors
influence forest reliance?
The role of forest in times of hardship is little
documented and this is among the first
studies with forest-dependent communities in
Southeast Asia

7. Study Area
Frontier forest (2000)
Non forest
Plot
Village MLA
4 communities, 2 ethnic groups Road
(Merap & Punan) River
Study in 2007 & 2008 Open area
Continuous forest
Degraded forest

8. Methods
 Interviews, questionnaires, discussions
 Head of households (excluded those who suffered no damage and
were absent)
 Assessment: flood impact, the nature and extent of damage,
coping strategies, sources of food and livelihoods, access to forest

9. Methods
Type of Damage: Severity of Coping Strategies
 Increase Reliance Forest
 Crop loss Damage:  Temporary Agricultural
 Land Damage  Minor Land
 House Damage  Medium
 Resettlement
 Loss animals  Severe
 Search Employment
Notes:
Dependence: relative frequency with which people turn to
a given activity from among available choices  survival
and livelihoods
Statistical analysis: The <phi> coefficient and Kruskal–
Wallis

10. Results
 General overview
 Impact of flood
 Coping strategies
 Do disasters influence
people’s reliance on the
forest?
 What livelihood factors
influence forest reliance?

11. General overview
List of forest products utilized by households before and after a flood for specific purposes
After floods In normal times*
English name
Merap Punan Merap Punan
Animals
Bearded pig, Sambar deer, Red muntjak, River carp F F F F
Palm civet, Asian mouse deer, Asian leaf turtle – F – F
Rhinoceros hornbill M – M M
Plants
Sago F F – –
Bamboo F F F F
Ironwood – C/M C/M C
Timber (Shorea & Dryobalanops) C/M C/M C/M C
Rattan & palm – B B B
Timber (Hopea & Dipterocarpus) M – M –
F= Food; C/M= Construction/Marketable; B=Basketry

12. 10 most important plants species
Shorea parvifolia
Agathis borneensis
Arenga undulatifolia
Aquilaria beccariana
Durio sp.
Eusideroxylon zwageri
Elmerrillia tsiampacca Licuala valida Calamus caesius Shorea pinanga

13. 10 most important animals
Hystrix brachyura
Cervus unicolor Muntiacus muntjak
Pycnonotus zeylanicus
Helarctos malayanus
Tragulus napu Gracula religiosa Sus barbatus Buceros vigil

14. Impact of flood
 Households impacted by flood
 Severity of damage:
 70% land damage, 60% crop loss, 55% house
damage, and 30% loss of domestic animals
 Combination of Coping Strategies:
 Impact of damage:
 >60% damage on land and crops
 30% to 55% damage to house & animals
 Coping Strategy Responses:
 90% Increased reliance on forest
 75% Temporary Agricultural Land
 65% Searching for Employment
 60% Resettlement

15. Increased reliance on the forest
Associated with loss or damage to house and
crops
 Hunting and fishing
 Harvesting timber
 Collecting plants, sago and bamboo

16. Factors influence forest reliance
 Employment is associated
with education 25 No education
 Reliance on forest is 20
Education
Number of households
associated with education 15
and wealth
10
 Wealthier households have 5
better education and made
0
less use of the forest No Yes
Search for employment

17. Implication & Recommendation
 The role of forest
 People’s coping strategies
 Most dependent households
on the forest after a crisis
Safety values should be
recognized, respected, and as
far as possible maintained – or
where necessary substituted

18. THANK YOU