Pendekatan Budaya dalam Menjaga Lingkungan: Kontribusi Kerja Jurnalisme dan Pemikiran Frans Sarong

Frans Sarong, seorang wartawan senior Harian Kompas, saya kenal pertama ketika awal penugasan saya di Balai Besar Konservasi Sumberdaya Alam (BBKSDA) NTT pada sekitar Maret tahun 2012. Pada saat itu, langsung saya “pamer”  kawasan konservasi apa saja yang kita kelola. Pak Frans sangat surprise ketika saya tunjukkan foto TWA Menipo. Tak lama setelah itu, kami sudah sepakat untuk ke lapangan bersama-sama. Taman wisata alam yang terletak di Desa Enoraen, Kecamatan Amarasi Timur, Kabupaten Kupang, berjarak 119 km dari kota Kupang dimuat di Harian Kompas tanggal 21 September 2012. Saya takjub dengan judulnya : “Mengamankan Menipo, Menghormati Leluhur Menifon”.

Kami yang bekerja di konservasi, seringkali fokus mengurus fauna, seperti rusa timor, kakatua kecil jambul kuning, dan penyu lekang serta habitatnya di hutan savana campuran. Pak Frans dengan kepekaan budaya seorang wartawan senior “memotret” Menipo dari persepktif yang jauh lebih dalam. Ia mampu menggali sejarah Menipo yang ternyata terkait dengan leluhur terhormat masyarakat Enoraen dan sekitarnya. Kawasan aslinya bernama Menifon, kata ini berasal dari paduan nama suami istri, Meni dan Fon. Merekalah yang mengupayakan pelestarian rusa timor di Menipo. Maka, tradisi pelestarian rusa timor dan habitatnya berakar dari sejarah dan penghormatan masyarakat kepada leluhurnya.  Temuan Pak Frans ini sangat menarik bagi pengelola kawasan konservasi, apabila ingin mendapatkan dukungan dari masyarakat dalam pengelolaan kawasan konservasi di masa depan.

Politik dan Manivesto Konservasi Alam

Abstract

As a megabiodiversity country, Indonesia has very rich and abundance not only  high diversity of flora and fauna and its natural habitat but also its natural resources and energy. Located in the equatorial line and in the ring of  fire, Indonesia has very  fertile land and as a home of  important  tropical rainforest across the globe. As a consequences,   Indonesia became a target of economic exploration of traders form West since 14-15 Century, particularly      for clove (Syzygium aromaticum),  flower and fruit of Myristica fragrans, and pepper-Piper nigrum. A new colonialism and capitalism was started in 1601 when Vereenigde Oost-Indische Companie (VOC) established and control over all trade in East Indies.  

In 1714, C Chastelein contribute 6 hectares of forest land in Depok to be managed as a natuur reservat. It was interesting to be noted that conservation awareness emerged at that time, before Alfred Russel Wallace arrived. Meanwhile, exploration for sciencetific discovery started by British Naturalist,   Alfred Russel Wallace and he started exploring many  islands since 1854. He was successfully collecting more than 125.000 specimen of flora, fauna, insect, and birds in 18 Century. His discovery contributed to answer the question by Darwin which was plubished in his theory in the famous book entitle :”The Origin of the Species”. In Hindia Belanda, conservation as a movement was initiated by Dr.S.H.Koorders. In 1912, he  established an organization called a :”Perhimpunan Perlindungan Alam” He collected more than 150.000 specimen from Sumatra, Java, and part of Sulawesi. It was labelled in 48.012 numbers.They were registered in  the Herbarium Koordersianium, Museum Bogoriense.

Commercial forest or timber exploitation was started in 1970. After 30 years, we witnessess alot of damage and environmental degradation happened across Sumatera, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi. Lowland rainforest has gone forever. When tropical timber in production forest has finished, land use changed into monoculture oil palm yielding so many social conflicts due to land claim, illegal logging in protected areas, forest encroachment, forest and land fire (particularly in land preparation for oil palm), and so forth. Along this sad story, coal mining activities increasing due to high demand from abroad. In 2011,  rich countries has control almost 75%t of   oil and gas fields across the country. Even, nowadays, we are already become net oil importer country.     

Considering above mentioned stories, we need to realise that we are still under control of multinational corporation. Rich countries are still not willing to lose their power control  in Indonesia. The issue on global warming is also full of political consideration.The developed countries are not willing to reduce their emission. They do not want to lose their economic growth. The burden to be put on poor countries, in the form of REDD and REDD+ for instance. Emil Salim remind us to be aware of our sovereignity to manage our own natural resource by considering   wisdom of local community. Nowadays, we still manage 27,2 million hectares of protected areas across the country. We should manage it independently and avoid any dependency. Natural resources under protected areas in Indonesia are not our property but only entrusted property from our next generation. The Manifesto of Nature Conservation has to be declare as a basis of our nationwide awareness :  Management of  Protected Areas  for the Wealth of Our People.

Indonesia, yang terbentang di antara dua lempeng benua dengan kekayaan alamnya yang melimpah, dengan jajaran gunung api aktifnya-ring of fire, menjadi daya tarik para penakluk dari negeri-negeri yang nun jauh di sana yang dipisahkan ribuan mil. Sejarah  panjang itu, sudah selayaknya patut diangkat kembali, khususnya yang terkait dengan penaklukan sumberdaya alam di hampir seluruh pelosok Nusantara. Beberapa catatan yang dapat diungkap dari buku-buku  sejarah, sungguh sangat mengejutkan apabila kita mau menghububungkannya dnegan masa kini. Satu hipotesa penulis coba ajukan, bahwasanya : “Indonesia sampai dengan saat ini tidak pernah lepas dari keterjajahan dan penjajahan serta keterpurukan”. Keterjajahan dalam persepktif sumberdaya alam, yang tentunya juga terkait dengan belenggu politik ekonomi kapitalis, yang dimulai empat Abad sejak  VOC didirikan pada  tahun 1601. Kronologi berikut, memperkuat hipotesa dan kemungkinan besar akan membuktikan kebenarannya.