High level delegation from Mozambique visits Indonesia to learn about Indonesia’s experience to sustain the forests which involves forest communities and private sectors.

Forestry Officials from Mozambique participated in five days study tour in Indonesia to learn about the country’s experience in sustaining the forest. The study tour was led by FAO Sustainable Forest Management Officer Isilda Nhantumbo and facilitated by Ministry of Environment and Forest and The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“The visit is enabling Mozambique officials to obtain a first-hand impression of the works of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to implement the forest management principles, and to meet with communities and private sectors that have been involved along the process, “ said Nhantumbo.

The visit started in the office of FOERDIA in Bogor, West Java where the delegations discussed Indonesia’s overall strategy in implementing sustainable forest management and on the gaps and challenges of natural forest management facing in Mozambique at present.

Then, the delegation went to the protected forest in Wain River, where Pertamina (state-owned company) and Regional Water Utility have helped the local government empower forest community through payment environment services programme. In addition, the delegation visited the industrial timber plantation owned by PT, which encourages forest community to shift from palm oil to timber plantations and aims to address plywood materials shortage.

Mangrove forest save community from Tsunami in Donggala

The delegation went to Forest Production Management Unit of Banawa Lalundu, Donggala. After the mangroves at Banawa forest saved lives from Tsunami by reducing high waves last year, the Forest Management Unit has worked with youth village organization to plant mangrove trees in Banawa forest.

Here, the delegation learned how forest protection management unit can contribute to improving environmental services and community development. “We learned the mechanism to manage the forests, which at the end, is able to provide social economy benefit to the forest community, “ said Nhatumbo.

The delegations also visited forest tourism attraction in Banawa Production Forest, including paragliding SELINA and Waterfall Lolita.

In Bali, as the last destination, the delegation went to visit PT. Bali treasure on timber and woodcraft certification including value chain, product knowledge, market development, and certification (SVLK). The delegation visited Bali Mangrove information center and discussed how community forest earns benefits from the environment services projects as well as its gaps and challenges.

In the last two decades, Mozambique, like other African countries, has seen an increase in the demand of timber which has led to scarcity of some high commercial value species. Illegal logging has been problematic. Export on non-processed timber increased. Silvicultural and sustainable logging practices have not been implemented and the processing is mainly primary with low efficiency.

Nhatumbo was impressed of the economic improvement of the community around the forests that she has visited. “We see that forest, if it is managed well, can empower the surrounding community. We learned that the cooperation between government, companies and forest communities are possible. And we are going to practice this good example in our country, “