Institutional Alignment and Perceived Conservation Outcomes in Social Forestry: Evidence from a Sloping Highland Landscape in West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Social Forestry is a flagship tenure-reform policy in Indonesia that seeks to reconcile rural livelihood improvement with forest sustainability. Yet, in steep upland landscapes, it remains uncertain whether expanded access rights translate into conservation-oriented land management. This study investigates how socio-economic pressures, institutional arrangements, and ecological conditions shape soil and water conservation within a Social Forestry scheme in Giriawas, West Java. Using a qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design, data were collected through household interviews, field observations, stakeholder consultations, and institutional analysis. The analysis was guided by a Drivers–Perception–Practices–Outcomes framework and an institutional fit perspective. Findings indicate that although farmers generally recognise erosion risks, land-use decisions are still dominated by short-term economic imperatives, and horticultural production remains largely production-oriented. Conservation practices are applied inconsistently, reflecting weak integration of soil and water conservation into local governance, limited alignment of incentives, and modest institutional capacity. Importantly, the assessment of conservation outcomes is based on stakeholder perceptions and qualitative field observations rather than direct biophysical measurements. The study suggests that tenure security alone is insufficient to generate environmentally sustainable land management. Instead, the findings suggest that perceived conservation outcomes are more favourable where governance arrangements, incentive structures, extension support, and ecological conditions are more closely aligned. These findings contribute an exploratory, context-specific explanation of why Social Forestry may succeed in expanding access while still falling short in delivering conservation benefits in erosion-prone upland systems.