Collaborators： OKAMOTO, Masaaki (Kyoto University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies)
KOZAN, Osamu (Kyoto University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies)
KANZAKI, Mamoru (Kyoto University, Graduate School of Agriculture)
UBUKATA, Fumikazu (Okayama University, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science)
KITAMURA, Yumi (Kyoto University, Library)
KATO, Tsuyoshi (Kyoto University, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies)
Syarif Ibrahim Alqadrie (Tanjungpura University, Faculty of Social & Political Sciences)
Erdi Abidin (Tanjungpura University, Faculty of Social & Political Sciences)
Term：2014-2015
Outline of Research:
Newly Planted Smallholder’s Oil Palm Estate in West Kalimantan Province
Since 1980s, the development of plantation forestry and oil palm plantations led by state-owned and private companies have had various influences on the local nature and social economy of West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. Concerned with vegetation changes as a result of drastic deforestation and an increase in greenhouse gases, the new entry of small-scale actors such as smallholders and small scale Chinese businesses into the sectors have influenced the social economic lifestyles of local people. This research project will undertake field research to solve problems of how these phenomena arise and what mechanisms work in them in collaboration with local partners.
Description:
Replanted Old Oil Palm Plantation of a Nucleus Company in West Kalimantan Province
This research project aims at undertaking interdisciplinary research in the field, taking into consideraiton how socio-economic factors, have affected the natural environment such as the atmosphere and vegetation change, and what kinds of mechanisms are at work among those socioeconomic factors, especially those that change the local social economy. The project will pursue the following themes;
- Observe and measure the influences of deforestation and the planting of industrial kinds of trees and oil palm and their influence on local vegetation and greenhouse gasses endowment in the atmosphere/
- Resolve the subjective motivations and objective conditions that have accelerated the entry of smallholders and small-scale actors, particulary Chinese businesses, and how those entries influence the social economy of the research field.
Our project possesses a distinctive feature. We will offer a synthesis through collaboration between two research groups, one led Prof. Kanzaki and Associate Prof. Kozan in natural science fields on the one hand, and one led by Associate Prof. Hayashida in humanities and social science fields on the other hand. We aim at conducting joint research and will announce the fruits of our collaboration. In addition, two local counterparts will join our project in order to make sure that it achieve its objectives.
The development of plantation forestry and oil palm plantations are a phenomena which have drastically evolved in the Outer Islands of Indonesia in recent years, and the West Kalimantan Province is one of the frontier areas of the nation. Research on cases of the province shall give us an important model of comparison with other locations in the Outer Islands and at a national level.
