To support the government's forest protection program, the participation of local people living in the vicinity of forests is crucial to sustaining ecosystems and biological diversity.

Koes Saparji, the director general of forest and natural resources conservation at the Ministry of Forestry, said that currently national parks and other conservation sites throughout the country were facing serious problems.

While the government was serious in its fight against deforestation, forest fires, illegal logging and mining, illegal hunting and fishing, and unregulated tourism that could further damage the country's forests, there was also a need to reach accommodations with local people who claimed to have the right to benefit from forest resources.

"We have to empower local people living in and around forests in order to improve their well-being by, for example, designating buffer zones where people can earn a living without touching the forest," he said.

Koes was speaking on the last day of a national seminar on Developing Partnerships in Maintaining National Parks, which was held from Aug. 29 to Aug. 31 in Bogor. The seminar was attended by the directors of 150 national parks across the country and leaders of communities living in and around conservation areas.

The seminar was also attended by the representatives of 13 international environmental watchdogs involved in empowering indigenous communities.

Koes said that programs to develop local communities had been recognized as being essential by a Minister of Forestry decree setting out the ministry's strategic plan for the 2005-2009 period.

The decree states that the ministry's main priorities and long-term programs consist of eradicating illegal logging and the illegal timber trade, maintaining forests, greater reforestation, establishing 20 more national parks, and improving the economic circumstances of people living in and around forests.

As of last December, the country had a total of 519 conservation areas, including national parks.

Koes said that the most successful empowerment program involved people living in the vicinity of Mount Rinjani, located on Lombok island in the east of the country.

"The people there protect the forest by not cutting down the trees for money anymore. They now make handicrafts. Some of these are even good enough for export. We will introduce similar programs in other areas. I hope we can now build cooperation among all stakeholders to maintain our national forests," Koes said.

However, Christin Wulandari of WWF urged the government not to delay in rolling out empowerment programs.

"Based on surveys completed by our colleagues, there are more than 12 million poor people living in the conservation areas. One way to prevent them from abusing the forests to earn their living would be to immediately implement welfare programs," she said.