Secretariat for International Landcare

Indonesia has launched its first official Landcare Project with the help of Australian Landcare workers and with funding from the Government of Finland.

Sue Marriott and Victoria Mack of the Secretariat for International Landcare, based in Victoria, said today that SILC had just received word from the Embassy of Finland in Jakarta that funding has been granted to Indonesia's Institute for Forest and the Environment (INFRONT) to establish a landcare group close to the Indonesia's most famous active volcano Mount Merapi.

"We have been working for the past 10 years with countries around the world and now to get Landcare established in Indonesia, this is wonderful news," Ms Marriott said. "It shows what can be achieved by farmers and communities working together across international boundaries."

The 3-year Mt Merapi Landcare project aims to restore and enhance the productive and protective functions of the buffer zone between Merapi and Merbabu mountains National Parks. The project area covers 7000 villagers, and involves a large number of volunteer farmer and community facilitators and more than 1600 households in the region.

The project also seeks to raise awareness about climate change and its impact on more than 27000 farmers locally in the Selo sub-district as well as demonstrate how a sustainable agriculture, silviculture and grazing land-use model can enhance the local environment, diversify farm incomes and improve household welfare at the same time. 

"SILC is truly delighted that after 12 months of hard work, meetings and writing that the first Indonesian Landcare group is now a reality.

"This has all come about thanks to the Finnish Embassy in Jakarta and the hard work of the Institute of Forest and the Environment (INFRONT) and Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta," she said.

Mr Uyung Pramudiyanto, the main Landcare facilitator for the project, said "Now, we can do more things for our Indonesian Landcare. We will try our best to help the Selo people help themselves, improve their livelihoods, and make a better land for our children in the future."