The Mountain-Greening Duo

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

Rusi Siruadi and Boedi.

Saddened by the denuded slopes of Mount Dempo, despite all the conflicts there, Boedi, 47, and Rusi Siruadi, 49, decided to return to their village and improve its environment, then in critical condition. They aimed to promote farmers’ welfare while greening the mountain slopes.

Under an agrotourism shelter in Langur Indah hamlet, Agung Lawangan subdistrict, North Dempo district, Pagar Alam city, South Sumatra, Boedi and Rusi were sitting while savoring mandarin oranges from their crop cultivation on Thursday (21/7/2022).

Boedi recalled the year 1998, when a fire broke out on a slope of Mount Dempo, in the Kibuk area to be exact, North Dempo district, South Sumatra. The disaster was broadcast on television. All at once, he was emotionally overwhelmed, as his village came under the spotlight due to its damaged natural condition.

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In view of the tragic situation, Boedi, who at the time had established himself as an employee of a private company in Bandung, decided to return to his native village. He was probing into the root cause of the calamity.

When the fire occurred, no parties were responsible for it. The results of discussions with some circles led Boedi to suspect that the disaster had been triggered by large-scale land reclamation for plantations.

After the land division was considered complete, they engaged in land reclamation from 1996-1998. During the reclamation, various conflicts arose.

Historically, said Boedi, residents of Kibuk, North Dempo, had, since 1987, divided the Mount Dempo slope area to be converted into a plantation zone. After the land division was considered complete, they engaged in land reclamation from 1996-1998. During the reclamation, various conflicts arose.

They ranged from residents being perceived as forest squatters and chased by security officers, to conflicts over land between residents and the state-estate-company PT Perkebunan Nusantara VII, which also owned tea estates not far from the zone.

Boedi then called Rusi Siruadi, his childhood friend residing in Yogyakarta, to help him resolve the problem. Rusi, who studied at the Faculty of Architecture, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, was capable of assisting him in finding a solution to the predicament.

Rusi followed suit. As a planter’s child, who was educated with Mount Dempo’s plantation-harvest yield, he deemed it the right time to get back to his village and apply his knowledge to the restoration of Mount Dempo, which was in critical condition.

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

Rusi Siruadi and dan Boedi.

They found a solution when in 2013, they proposed to turn the Kibuk zone into a community forest through a social-forestation program.

After going through several procedures, the license for community-forest (HKm) utilization was obtained. Out of the 440 hectares of land proposed to become HKm, 320 hectares were approved. The license was directly presented by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2018 in the Punti Kayu Urban Forest, Palembang. According to Rusi, it was the initial step for the slope improvement of Mount Dempo.

The next step was the consolidation of 132 farmers under the Kibuk HKm scheme to realize the same vision, which was bringing about farmers’ welfare and carrying out Mount Dempo’s slope greening.

This step began with comprehensive-data recording to ascertain those eligible for HKm-zone management and demand their commitment to the cultivation of plants capable of supporting land greening and the safeguarding of the existing primary forest against squatting. Based on the rule, of the 340 hectares of HKm land, a minimum of 30 percent had to be allocated as a conservation area. “This zone must be safeguarded so as not to be encroached upon any more,” he said.

With his expertise in architecture, Rusi conducted spatial reordering of the zone so that residents would not be managing the land arbitrarily.

Intensification

The efforts intensified through the cultivation of various crops that are environmentally friendly and offer economic benefits to farmers. Regrettably, not all crops can grow on Mount Dempo slopes at the heights of 1.5 meters to 1.9 m above sea level.

After a series of failures, a formulation described as appropriate has now been determined, which is the combination of shade plants such as avocado and jackfruit with other commodities.

With this formulation, farmers can manage many more commodities that also generate economic value. When they have achieved economic welfare, Rusi is convinced that they will be committed to forest conservation.

Meanwhile, the primary-forest zone will be designated for educational tourism, and can benefit from academics’ study of the biological diversity of Mount Dempo’s primary forest.

Besides, shared Boedi, agrotourism facilities were implemented, such as camping grounds around the zone for tourists to enjoy the beauty of Mount Dempo slopes while watching agricultural activity there. Meanwhile, the primary-forest zone will be designated for educational tourism, and can benefit from academics’ study of the biological diversity of Mount Dempo’s primary forest.

“We want the public’s awareness that Mount Dempo must be safeguarded against environmental damage to grow along with the growth of the forest there,” Boedi said.

Both Rusi and Boedi hope that when this Kibuk HKm management scheme succeeds, it can serve as an example for other farmer groups and inspire them with the same vision, which is protecting Mount Dempo from the risk of environmental destruction. Eventually, farmers will also prosper and take pride as they can send their children to college, thanks to the correct management of agricultural land, by respecting and adhering to natural conservation.

Boedi

Born: North Dempo, 2 February 1975

Education:

- State SD 41, North Dempo

- State SMP 3, North Dempo

- SMA Muhammadiyah Pagar Alam

Rusi Siruadi

Born: North Dempo, 2 August 1973

- Education:

- State SD Negeri 41, North Dempo

- State SMP 3, North Dempo

- SMA Muhammadiyah Pagar Alam

- Academy of Architecture, YKPN Yogyakarta

- Faculty of Architecture, Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta

(This article was translated by Aris Prawira).