East Kalimantan villages receive carbon project funds
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Villages in Mahakam Ulu Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, largely received funds from a project designed to reduce emissions from deforestation and land degradation.
Hendrikus Helaq, head of Liu Mulang Village, said his village accepted the funds after attending a socialization event in 2023 in West Kutai. Liu Mulang Village received around Rp378 million (approximately $23,000 USD) in late 2024, which Hendrikus included in the village budget.
Villagers must submit proposals for activities to access the funds, with support from the Village Community Development and Empowerment Program and other involved parties. Examples of funded activities include procuring fruit and cocoa seedlings for farmer groups and providing agricultural extension services. However, Hendrikus stated the money does not go directly to residents as cash payments, but instead funds activities like seed procurement with farmer training.
Hendrikus believes the activities funded by the carbon money do not align with forest preservation. He argues emission reduction projects should directly relate to forestry, such as forest monitoring, maintaining natural tourism areas, or supporting community forest and river patrols. He also criticised the rushed implementation of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility-Carbon Fund (FCPF-CF) project, noting the funds were transferred near the end of the year, forcing them to quickly close the financial books in December 2024.
