Erosion prevention through empowerment of human resources to support food security around the Kambaniru watershed, East Nusa Tenggara

Abstract

The high activity of the community that is not accompanied by the readiness of human resources around the watershed determines the status of the land use index, the erosion index, and economic and social factors. The negative externality impacts arise due to unfriendly land-use management on various types of cultivation, including agriculture, cultivation, plantations, or even livestock, contributing to the potential for erosion. This study aims to create a causal model of erosion prevention through a human resource development approach to support community food security and develop a technical program for land rehabilitation around the Kambaniru watershed, East Nusa Tenggara. The research method is presented descriptively with observation, tabulation, and data valuation techniques. The performance assessment results of the Kambaniru watershed show a medium-category classification. Multi-purpose plants and trees are prioritized for land rehabilitation to prevent erosion and provide food security for the poor, such as corn and tubers. Human resource capacity development in the upstream and central communities has successfully supported the erosion prevention and land rehabilitation program. The policy implications of this research are as follows: the limited capacity of community human resources in land conservation can be started by socializing the planting of short-lived trees. The recommended species are legume family types that can thrive in various types of soil and are flexible with climate change. Corn and tubers are a source of high calories and nutrients needed to improve the quality of human resources in the Kambaniru watershed area. Therefore, developing a food reserve land program in the Kambaniru watershed is necessary.