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The unique knowledge of the women of East Sumba, Indonesia is being recognised in restoration of their deforested land. A report by Elok Mulyoutami
The high plateaux of East Sumba in Indonesia, especially on the way to Haharu Sub-district, are very beautiful. On either side of the narrow road, an expanse of savannah stretches wide. During the brief rainy season, herds of the small, brown sandalwood pony and large, white, humped cattle graze freely. It is a green and neat landscape, with short grass, scattered shrubs and a few clumps of tall trees, such as 'kehi' (Lannea coromandelica) and 'kosambi' (Scheilechera oleosa).
At first glance, the grass looks deliberately planted, although in reality it and some of the woody species regenerate naturally in the rocky, limestone soil. Some limestone outcrops appear on the surface, reaching heights of 1-3 metres, giving the impression of a stone forest. This charming landscape, unfortunately, does not promise a decent living for the people who inhabit it.
They live in poverty because the productivity of the land is very low. Most of the people have difficulty even finding sufficient clean water; some villages have no water sources at all. The limited tree cover in the rocky landscape results in limited capacity to store water. The island has been largely deforested, beginning with the Dutch in the 1700s exploiting the sandalwood and continuing after independence up until the early 2000s, by which time there was nothing left to take.
In response to these at once beautiful and harsh conditions, Wahana Visi Indonesia in partnership with ICRAF The World Agroforestry Centre and Lutheran World Relief are developing a model of environmental and landscape restoration that incorporates improving the livelihoods of the people.
With support from the Australian Government, ICRAF's role in...