Performance-Based PES Outreach Conducted in Four Villages Buffering the Sungai Lesan Protected Forest

From June 8–11, 2026, CFES (Community Forest Ecosystem Services), together with YKAN (Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara), conducted outreach and the FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) process for a Performance-Based Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) program in four villages in Kelay Subdistrict, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan: Sido Bangen, Lesan Dayak, Muara Lesan, and Merapun. The activities were held sequentially in each village and attended by representatives of Village Forest Management Institutions (LPHDs), village governments, customary leaders and community members, as well as women’s and youth representatives.

These four villages have managed Village Forests under Indonesia’s Social Forestry scheme since 2022, covering a total area of approximately 10,151 hectares within the Sungai Lesan Protected Forest Landscape (HLSL). The HLSL area, spanning approximately 10,755 hectares, was designated as a protected forest through a decree issued by Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry in 2013. It is recognized as one of East Kalimantan’s tropical rainforests with exceptionally high biodiversity and serves as an important corridor for the Bornean orangutan. Although local communities have long played a key role in protecting the forest, they have not received economic incentives commensurate with their contributions. The performance-based PES scheme was therefore designed to address this gap in forest management.

During each session, the CFES team explained the program’s background, objectives, location, potential benefits and risks, and community rights prior to implementation. Community members were also given opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback as part of the free, prior, and informed consent process. PES payments will be based on annual land-cover verification results: full payment will be provided if deforestation is 0%, half payment if deforestation remains below 1%, and no payment if deforestation exceeds 1%.

Overall, feedback from all four villages reflected a strong commitment to continue protecting the HLSL area. This commitment was demonstrated through their readiness to maintain and strengthen routine forest patrols, develop long-term work plans integrated with the PES scheme, and sustainably manage forest-based economic opportunities such as ecotourism, non-timber forest products, and fruit tree planting in buffer areas. Community members also emphasized the importance of collaborative protection efforts among villages, including joint patrols, integrated landscape mapping across Village Forests, and the active involvement of women and youth in forest management activities.

All input gathered during the outreach process will be used to refine the program design before cooperation agreements are signed between CFES and each LPHD. The next phase will include strengthening LPHD institutional capacity, conducting forest-cover assessments in the four Village Forests, and developing annual work plans as the foundation for PES implementation. Through this outreach process, it is hoped that the four villages within the HLSL landscape will be able to continue their role in forest conservation with clearer and more sustainable support.