Case study on challenges and solutions for forest use in Indonesia

Climate activists, indigenous populations and corporations all lay claim to the rainforest in Indonesia, inevitably leading to conflicts. adelphi is conducting a case study to examine whether local German development cooperation projects account for resource conflicts or take steps to prevent them.

adelphi staff conducted interviews in the capital Jakarta and visited a region of the Forest and Climate Change Programme (FORCLIME) on Borneo to get a better understanding of the situation. They met representatives of district authorities, politicians, NGOs and the staff of German development organisations to discuss challenges and problem-solving approaches to forest conflicts. The case study in Indonesia is part of a large-scale research project, which involves adelphi examining the instruments and strategies employed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and German implementing organisations working in the areas of the environment, natural resources and conflicts in selected partner countries. Previous studies focussed on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and resulted in a regional analysis of Central Asia. adelphi also plans to conduct case studies in Latin America and Africa. It will then collate the findings and compare the approaches used by German development cooperation in various countries. adelphi is also examining how closely the German federal government coordinates its work with other international donors.