Mbeliling forest is located in East Nusa Tenggara Province, in the southwest of Flores Island, in the West Manggarai regency . Mbeliling forest is 23,420 ha in size and consists of both semi-evergreen and deciduous moist tropical forest types, comprising functional areas of Protection Forest (7,240 ha), Conversion Forest (4,180 ha) and Limited Production Forest (12,000 ha). Steep slopes dominate the topography of the region, with 60% of land area between 0-499 metres above sea level, and the remaining 35% at an altitude of 500-1000 metres above sea level, and 5% above 1000 m high. The forest serves as a watershed for surrounding villages and the nearby regency capital of Labuan Bajo and its rivers and water springs provide water for drinking, cooking, washing and irrigation to 33,000 inhabitants in 27 villages facilitated by Burung Indonesia’s project. Mbeliling Forest also provides protection from erosion, landslides and floods.
Burung Indonesia has been working in Mbeliling since 2006, implementing a program of integrated sustainable forest management with support from Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA) and the Danish BirdLife International Partner, DOF. The program focuses on management of the productive landscape and works to develop participatory management of the forest between communities and local and regional governments, incorporating formal agreements and the establishment of a collaborative forum to address the management of available natural resources which support the population of surrounding villages. The program aims to achieve three distinct goals of poverty alleviation, conservation and community empowerment.
Burung Indonesia’s interest in the forest area is due to the existence of Important Bird Areas (IBA) in the region, with high levels of bird biodiversity, the presence of four endemic bird species and the threatened nature of their forest habitat due to agricultural, population and economic expansion pressures. Other unique wildlife in Mbeliling includes a blind snake species, Typhlops schmutzii, and the Flores giant rat, Papagomys armandvillei.
Program activities to promote sustainable management of the Mbeliling landscape include implementation of simple participatory forest health and biodiversity monitoring, livelihood diversification through ecotourism and small business development, conservation awareness raising and education programs and improved agricultural methods. In order to address management of the area holistically, issues such as the importance of ecosystem health for the provision of environmental goods and services and climate change, climate change assessments and climate change adaptation.
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