The project was completed. Some of the outcomes of the projects are: the planting of mangrove saplings on 5 hectares coastal area and published of a quarterly bulletin ?Pesisir? that focus on conservation movement facilitated by coastal community. Lesson-learned taken from the project: local government recognition and moral support was much welcomed by the project and the communities where the project is implemented. However, as the type of NGO - government relationship in this particular case is still unclear, each party has not progressed farther into an official contractual agreement. Although the Deli Serdang?s Regent has already requested YAPESDA to assist the government in planning and implementing mangrove rehabilitation efforts on a substantially larger scale in North Sumatra, YAPESDA wishes to discuss this offer with their local counterparts (local communities - as the main stakeholder of this organization - and other NGOs in their network).
Upon a site visit to the two villages, it is quite apparent that (a) YAPESDA has derived benefits and experience from earlier externally funded activities (e.g. Dana Mitra Lingkungan, PACT), and (b) the two villages which coastal area to be rehabilitated are indeed in need of this project. Another added benefit that YAPESDA has obtained from their earlier activities is that the mangrove saplings they planted five years ago have restored the spawning and feeding grounds for crustaceans and fishes in the area. These restored areas are attracting bigger fishes nearer to the coastal lines, thus enabling the fishermen to harvest closer to the shoreline than in the past 5 years.
The enthusiastic two local communities at Ruhgemuk and Palu Sibaji are optimistic that this project could be readily and easily implemented in other denuded mangrove forest areas in North Sumatra, especially if the local people?s commitments are high. Having several stages of mangrove rehabilitation process to show at Paluh Sibaji and Ruhgemuk provided a good ?before and after? showcase for other communities. Other excellent ?showcases? could be found in West Java, where mangrove trees are utilized to protect and enrich their traditional brackish water ponds.
Initially, there were doubts whether or not YAPESDA could absorb the amount of funds requested from GEF SGP. These doubts were soon lifted as communication between the project and program office became regular. The exchange visits and networking with another grant recipient (LSB, in Sumbawa) also provided another example of how this NGO is interested in not only managing their project efficiently in their own community, but more importantly how they are sincerely interested in sharing their experience with other NGOs in other areas in Indonesia. In the future, YAPESDA could probably assist the program as its community/small scale mangrove development expert.
YAPESDA provides a good example on how external assistance that is relatively un-interrupted could effectively improve the capacity of an NGO. Earlier support - however small - from donor agencies that they have received had enabled them to continuously increase their skills (management) and expertise (field). Alternatively, it is most likely that the same degree of improved institutional capacity could also be achieved from a long-term assistance by one donor agency.
YAPESDA presents an opportunity to replicate a good working model on participatory mangrove rehabilitation. In time, in addition to replication, this type of project could also be scaled up to cover larger areas.