Sustainable Livelihood, Sustainable Forest: A Case Study in Java Forest, Indonesia

The globalization era presents challenges for humans to achieve sustainable living. In achieving this, natural resources, especially forests, are the main focus of attention because of their central role in supporting human life and environmental sustainability. Along with population growth and economic development, pressures on forests are increasing, impacting the balance within the ecosystem and the human welfare. In this background, it is crucial to understand that human sustainability cannot be separated from ecosystem sustainability. Forests provide wood and other forest products and play roles in maintaining water availability, reducing carbon emissions, and maintaining biodiversity. This research presents a comprehensive and integrated concept for achieving sustainable human life through a symbiotic relationship between sustainable livelihoods and forest preservation. Data collection was carried out for two years among forest communities in three villages in Central Java Province, Indonesia, based on the region's geographical conditions and the community's socio-cultural conditions. Primary and secondary data sources were used, with research informants identified as heads of Forest Village Community Institutions (LMDH), forest farmers, accompanying facilitators, forest police, forestry officers, and community leaders. Data collection involved interviews, observations, focus group discussions, and searching for secondary data. All data was then analyzed using the spiral model. This research found a concept of balance between "Sustainable Livelihood" and "Sustainable Forest" as the foundation for achieving a sustainable life because human sustainability cannot be separated from ecosystem sustainability to achieve balance. To achieve a balance between "Sustainable Livelihood" and "Sustainable Forest," it is necessary to have policy efforts that support forest management. These institutions can bridge between communities and forests, as well as community culture. These results provide a new perspective on balancing forest use and ecosystem conservation and how this can contribute to achieving a holistically sustainable human life.