Buffer Zone Concept

The buffer zone concept is easy to explain, but difficult to implementing the field, particularly in conservation area and nature reserves in Indonesia. Although complicated to establish a buffer zone, it does not mean there are no efforts toward the realization of buffer zones in nature conservation in Indonesia.
For the lay man, buffer zone is defined as an area established outside a nature reserve which serves to hold back destructive activities or pressures on the nature reserve. However, the idea of a single protection layer is not translatable to field conditions as approaches to guarding the conservation area connot be limited by exact area and distance from its boundaries.
And the other problem arise from the act no. 5 of 1990 which states that the buffer zone area is outside the conservation area, and up to now there is no clear understanding of the status of buffer zones, of what we should do if the buffer zone is inside the conservation area. So, the status of buffer zone is still confused in the terms of its area; it might be questioned where the real location of a buffer zone is ?


Three Principles
Relating to implementation in the field, at least three principles are being tried in The Kerinci Seblat National Park to speed up the establishment of a buffer zone. 


Access

Means serveral features related to ownership of community land. THis has meant a firm clarification to the communities about ownership of their land. The classic problem met with in nature reserve management is generally rooted in the expansion of the local population leading to encroachment on the protected area. This problem is worst if supported by local customs and traditions. If there exist clear land ownership, this is turn will give more freedom of activity to farm a garden; automatically people with land inside the reserve must leave without argument.      
                     Here, the problem of ownership rights is very closely linked to law enforcement.


Uses

Leans towards the context of original planning. In this, we need synchronization between regional planning at a national or provincial level, this must be stressed as land use, for housing changes naturaly with population growth. It's not a secret that much rice-field has been converted to residential use.






Economic

Directed to the strategy of incentives, inspired by an "if-then" approach. This means that if we are can absorb changes in accordance with existing regulations, and people choose to give up their land in the conservation area, then they should receive various incentives that could include development aid from the responsible government agencies. But, if this progress is reserved, and people go against the regulations, then it has proven effective to enforce laws and give penalties to the violator. 




These three principles are not arranged in order, but very much depend on the conditions in the field.