Tenure Conflict Resolution Strategy For Pongtorra Protected Fores Area In North Toraja

Abstract

The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) reported a significant increase in agrarian conflicts over the past five years, with 2024 recording the highest number at 295 cases, covering 1,113,631.47 hectares, or a 21.9% rise from the previous year. Most conflicts occurred in forest areas, triggered by overlapping land tenure caused by legal pluralism, where state law and customary law intersect in community life. In North Toraja Regency, claims over ancestral land within the Pongtorra forest area have led to its use for settlements, plantations, rice fields, community forests, and tourism. The government considers such practices as forest encroachment, creating disputes between local communities and the state. This study aims to formulate conflict resolution strategies through a participatory approach that incorporates local wisdom and the historical aspects of land tenure. Data were collected through purposive sampling, spatial mapping, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs). Findings indicate that conflict resolution should balance community land use rights with recognition of forest area status and ecological functions. Policy alternatives include social forestry schemes, release of forest areas through agrarian reform, or spatial planning revisions. The participatory method offers an advantage over previous studies by fostering more inclusive, fair, and sustainable solutions to tenure conflicts in protected forest areas.