Kaum Miskin Di Kawasan Pinggiran Hutan Taman Nasional Meru Betiri

Abstract

Focus of this research is the empowerment of the poor community in the forest edge of Meru Betiri National Park through the perspective of Environmental History. This research aims to improve the community prosperity in the region sustainably through the forest exploitation as natural resource. This research is urgent and significant since this research is giving an economical change for the marginal community in the forest edge of Meru Betiri National Park to exploit the forest. Even though culturally the forest edge community has direct access to the forest, but the community does not able to optimize the exploitation of the forest and take it as a natural resource to improve their prosperity. The government rules that states mastery of the forest by the state make this forest fringe community has less power to mastery the forest in their environment and also the low quality of human resource in managing the forest bring poverty to the community. One of the effects of such conditions is illegal looting that creates damages in several areas of the Meru Betiri National Park.