From August 20h to 29th GIZ FORCLIME once again conducted a study tour to Germany featuring the participative management of large protected areas. As before the opportunity was given to a group of Indonesian forestry professionals to get German structures and processes be explained and to discuss technical issues with numerous German experts.

This time, the Indonesian delegation consisted of participants from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in Jakarta, the Centre for Forestry Education and Training in Bogor and the Provincial Forestry Service of West Kalimantan. The group was accompanied by FORCLIME staff as usual.

According to the theme of this year's expert exchange, several protected areas were visited, including UNESCO biosphere reserves, nature parks and a national park in the German federal states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. The programme was completed by interesting presentations and talks in the responsible Ministry of the Federal State of Mecklenburg and several professional associations.

Of course, the visit to a forestry management unit was not lacking either, to learn about set-up and objectives of public forest services in Germany. At the same time it should be clarified which are tasks of forest management with regards to environmental protection and education and how cooperation among forestry units and institutions of nature conservation is arranged.

As a result it should be noted that many technical questions were addressed and the solutions of both countries were compared. In addition, questions of management, environmental awareness of the general public and above all forms of collaboration were discussed. This included the important issue of participation, i.e. the involvement of all regional bodies and individual stakeholders who may be affected by conservation measures.

For more details, please contact:
Lutz Hofheinz, Senior Adviser for Forest Management Unit
Pipin Permadi, Adviser for Forest Policy and Strategic Planning