Land Tenure Security and Sustainable Land Use Case Study on the Policy of Land Allocation for Communities by the National Land Policy Committee (NLPC) in the National Reserved Forest Area

Abstract

This research is a mixed-methods research study that collects data through documentary research, in-depth interviews with ten key informants, and surveys using structured interviews with a sample group of 343 individuals. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, while quantitative data were processed using statistical software and interpreted through descriptive statistics. The study found that past government policies allocated land to individuals for private ownership. However, once the land was allocated, a significant number of recipients engaged in buying and selling, there by leading to further encroachments in search of new agricultural land. As a response, the government revised its land allocation policy, particularly in national forest reserves, to implement a community-based land allocation model by the National Land Policy Committee (NLPC) in the form of joint ownership. Reguarding perception of this system most respondents in the sample group were of the opinion that the joint ownership system provides relatively low security of tenure. This is because the right granted, are primarily rights of occupation certified for utilization, along with a personal booklet allowing land use for productive purposes. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of clarity regarding the long-term development framework. This uncertainly may affect ownership security, as it could lead to inheritance by heirs, together with the enforcement of clear regulations prohibiting sale or transfer to other parties. At the same time, these regulations also define the conditions for land use, there by enabling communities to plan for the sustainable development of the area in the future.