Land Rehabilitation, Economic Revitalization: Balai Tamunih Indigenous Community

Customary Areas that are squeezed by state forest area policies, that is the challenge faced by the Balai Tamunih Indigenous Community in Tamunih Village, Tanah Bumbu Regency. Even so, they still started the “Coffee Plantation and Tree Planting” program, to rehabilitate the land and strengthen the local economy. With an area of ​​2 hectares, as many as 2.000 coffee seedlings and 500 productive trees such as petai, coconut, avocado, and durian have been planted. In addition, community members also received training in coffee cultivation and plant maintenance. Now, the coffee plantation is not only a new source of income for the community but has also begun to improve the local ecosystem which benefits more than 80 people in the village.

The area in the Balai Tamunih Indigenous Community, located in Tamunih Village, Tanah Bumbu Regency, is fertile land for agriculture, but state policy has designated most of their area as a state forest area. The living space of the Indigenous Community is getting narrower, they are not only losing access to natural resources, but also weakening the economy. For this reason, the Balai Tamunih Community has started coffee plantation and tree planting activities as land rehabilitation and to improve the community's economy.

The activity aims to develop a local coffee plantation on 2 hectares of land on previously suboptimal land. A total of 2.000 coffee seedlings have been planted along with 500 tree seedlings such as petai, coconut, avocado, and durian for land rehabilitation. They carry out land clearing, planting, and tree maintenance, as well as providing rest huts on the plantation land. The community also receives training related to coffee cultivation and plant maintenance.

Coffee plantations have now become a new source of income for the Balai Tamunih community, while trees planted around the plantation land have begun to improve the local ecosystem. This activity has also strengthened the spirit of mutual cooperation among community members, directly involving 21 men and 10 women, and providing indirect benefits to more than 80 people in the village.