Residents of Lemukih village in Sukasada, Buleleng district, Bali, have stepped up tree plantation activities for saving forests, which have been traditionally and socially conducted and inspired by Hindu teachings.
The tree-planting activities are also in line with one of Indonesia’s G20 priority issues, green energy transition, officials said.
“The forest rescue program has involved indigenous villages with their customary rules and also Village-Owned Enterprises as an effort to utilize forests socially,” Lemukih village chief Nyoman Linggih said on Saturday.
The tree cover in Lemukih village has reached around 988 hectares, and this area has already been classified as a forest area with a dense variety of plants, he informed.
So far, the village has collaborated with the Forest Management Unit (KPH) and the forestry person in charge, who have continued to encourage education and forest planting programs by routinely involving the participation of local communities, he said.
Moreover, tree planting is part of the local people’s daily activities as they are in line with the teachings of Tri Hita Karana, he added.
The Tri Hita Karana are the Balinese Hindu society’s basic principles that prescribe maintaining a harmonious relationship between humans and God, humans and humans, and humans and the environment, he said.
“The tree-planting program is an implementation of those three elements in nurturing harmonious relationship between humans and their environment,” he added.
Furthermore, Linggih also revealed that the existence of indigenous villages in the region is supported by customary rules, or perarem.
Indigenous villages are now formulating perarem related to rescuing forests, such as prohibiting people from hunting and cutting down trees, he added.
“The existence of indigenous villages is vital. So far, we have always worked together in an effort to protect indigenous forests that are the ancestors’ heritage,” Linggih remarked.
Source: Antara News