With the rise of jurisdictional approaches to sustainable commodity sourcing and pressure to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, a number of regencies and provinces in Indonesia have taken steps to embrace sustainable and low-carbon development plans. CSF is supporting the government and stakeholders in Sintang Regency to collectively design and implement a Green Regency plan that includes sustainable land-use practices and better governance. We are contributing expertise in economics, sustainable development, and strategic planning, and working closely with the local government, which is overseeing the process with support from local civil society organizations (CSOs).
In 2019, CSF completed the first 18-month phase of this process which included:
- a two-day stakeholder dialogue for 80 people from academia, government agencies, CSOs, and the community that focused on implementing green development and preparation for the background studies, held in May 2018;
- background studies on 1) the history and culture of Sintang, 2) natural resources and ecosystems, 3) economic development, and 4) land-based economy, land governance, social forestry, and agrarian reform;
- a four-day training on Sustainable Development and Integrated Landscape Policy, held in July 2018;
- a five-day scenario planning workshop for sustainable landscape development in Sintang, held in October 2018. The workshop included 60 participants from government, civil society, business groups, non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous community leaders. We also trained 15 facilitators to assist with this process;
- two pieces of training on sustainable landscape modeling, one in January 2019 and a second in February 2019; and
- a consolidation workshop in April 2019.
This phase of the project resulted in a shared vision and a roadmap for the Green Regency and sustainable landscape plan.
In October 2019, Phase 2 of this initiative was launched. CSF’s role in this phase focuses on: the provision of technical assistance and facilitation to write several key policy documents (including an integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA); an RPJMD (Medium-Term Development Plan) for 2022-2027; a revision of a Spatial Plan and its zonation regulation; and strengthening capacity of human resources in key government institutions and its partner organizations including promoting the role and capacity of the Sintang Lestari Working Group.
Through this process, the government of Sintang will have the opportunity to consolidate its current efforts to promote sustainable development in the region, and capitalize on synergies between existing activities. This project will also serve as a model for other regencies aiming to achieve the lasting impacts of green growth.
In 2020, CSF continued its ongoing collaboration with the Sintang Regional Government for the Green Sintang Action Plan:
- In July, the CSF Indonesia team held its first webinar, focusing on capacity building and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the regional development plan (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Daerah or RPJMD). The webinar was hosted via Zoom and YouTube Livestream, and was attended by more than 100 people from both the government and non-governmental institutions.
- In August, the CSF Indonesia team hosted its first-ever virtual course in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which placed travel and meeting restrictions upon the course staff. As a part of the working agreement between CSF and the Sintang Government, the course focused on educating government stakeholders and non-governmental institutions on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the regional development plan (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Daerah or RPJMD).
This work is funded by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Photo: Mount Kelam, Sintang Regency, West Kalimantan
Photo credit: Nizar Kauzar