In the end of 2021, the Director General of Fiscal Balance at the Ministry of Finance released data regarding the remaining Reforestation Revenue Sharing Funds (DBH DR) in the regions. Based on these data, there are still many provincial and district/city governments that have not optimized the management of DBH DR. On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance has issued Minister of Finance Regulation No.216/PMK.07/2021 concerning the Use, Monitoring, and Evaluation of Natural Resources and Forestry Revenue Sharing Funds to accelerate the optimization of the use of DBH DR.

In order to convey best practices in DBH DR management, PATTIRO supported by The Asia Foundation held a Dissemination of the Results of a Study of Best Practices on DBH DR Management in Supporting Social Forestry in West Sumatra on Wednesday (28/09) online via Zoom and Youtube. This province was chosen as it had a high DBH DR absorption in several years and regional policies that support the acceleration of social forestry. Our expectation is this best practice will serve as an example for other regions in optimizing the use of DBH DR, especially for regions where the remaining DBH DR is still very large. Respondents to this activity were the Head of Sub-Directorate for Business Development of the Directorate General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Area Conservation Analyst of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Head of Sub-Directorate for Revenue Sharing Funds of the Ministry of Finance, and Head of the West Sumatra Provincial Forestry Service. In addition, the Director General of PSKL KLHK was also present as the keynote speaker.

Based on Diah Mardhotillah’s explanation, PATTIRO Program Officer, the absorption of DBH DR usage in West Sumatra Province in 2020 was 97.31% and in 2021 it was 87.16%. Meanwhile, there are four success factors in supporting Social Forestry in West Sumatra, namely the commitment of the Regional Government in promoting Social Forestry, an optimal Working Group for the Acceleration of Social Forestry, positive Coordination and Collaboration between stakeholders, and the existence of data on beneficiaries in Forestry Management Social.

In addition to these four success factors, it is also interesting to highlight the involvement of youth in the management of DBH DR in West Sumatra. Danang Kuncara Sakti, Head of Social Forestry Business Development Sub-Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, believes that the role of youth is very potential to be involved in the process of accelerating the development of DBH DR management. “Youth have innovation and creativity so that this is an asset in accelerating social forestry management through their creative ideas,” said Danang. He also added that West Sumatra has expertise in ecotourism development.

This was confirmed by the statement of Yozarwardi Usama Putra, Head of the West Sumatra Provincial Forestry Service. Yozarwardi said there are 20 ecotourism facilities, all of which are managed by the Forest Management Unit (KPH). “We are making efforts to achieve a strategic plan, community-based social forest management a business because it is very relevant to forest and community conditions,” said Yozarwardi.

Meanwhile, in his presentation, Bambang Supriyanto, Director General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry said that the good practices carried out by West Sumatra Province needed to be replicated by other regions. The budget support provided by the Provincial Government of West Sumatra has reached 29% of the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD). This is very likely to carry out the delegation of authority for Social Forestry to the Provincial Government of West Sumatra. According to him, one of the conditions for delegation is support from the provincial budget of 35% for Social Forestry and the integration of Social Forestry into regional planning. Bambang also added, apart from West Sumatra Province, there were also other provinces that utilized DBH DR to support Social Forestry, namely Central Kalimantan Province. In 2022, Central Kalimantan Province is preparing to facilitate legal access to Social Forestry in the form of Village Forest (HD), Community Forest (HKm), Community Plantation Forest (HTR), Forestry Partnership and Customary Forest management. “There are six activities, namely forestry preparation socialization, social forestry socialization, facilitation of social forestry proposals, facilitation of recognition and protection of local wisdom, facilitation of drafting customary law community (MHA) regional regulations, and data collection on potential tenurial and customary forest conflicts,” said Bambang.

Mediarsih Eka Savitri, Area Conservation Analyst at the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that the use of DBH DR for regions can be done flexibly. Regions that will use the DBH budget only need to describe the program of activities if they have finished setting the APBD. “The flexible use of DBH DR can be used in the regions because it has many effects on regional finances,” said Mediarsih.