Indigenous systems and ecological knowledge among Dayak people in Kutai Barat, East Kalimantan-a preliminary report

Sustainable forest management and conservation initiatives are becoming increasingly important in the tropics as the alarming rate of deforestation continues. The almost completed deforestation in East Kalimantan, one of the most ecologically diverse rainforests in the world, provides an undisputed example. The indigenous management systems along with communal conservation of forest resources as well as the indigenous knowledge of biodiversity are on the verge of disappearance due to a number of factors – uncontrolled logging, gold and coal mining, village conflicts and rampant corruption – all for personal short-term economic benefits. The indigenous systems and participatory approaches to conservation, documentation and promotion of indigenous knowledge with due respect of intellectual property rights of these indigenous people require immediate attention. This is a report of a rather quick and preliminary investigation through farmer consultation and field visits to Kutai Barat district in East Kalimantan supplemented with some literature review.

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