Modeling the Dynamics of Landscapes and Livelihoods in Malinau District, Indonesia

For several decades, land use in Malinau district was dictated by the central government through the allocation of land to agriculture, timber concessions and mining companies. Now, with a policy of decentralization in place, district governments have a greater say in the allocation of land use. As a part of the district government development programs to increase district revenue, several forest areas are likely to be allocated for plantation production, but the proposed creation of a “conservation district” will require some level of forest protection. Using a combination of empirical data and stakeholder’s participation, a computer model using STELLA software was developed to investigate long term land use, district revenue and livelihood dynamics.