15 STRATEGI PENGELOLAAN KAWASAN LINDUNG MANUCOCO BERBASIS MASYARAKAT DI KOTA ADMINISTRATIF ATAURO, DILI TIMOR-LESTE Ernesto Matos Soares 1 *), I Made Antara 2 ), I Made Adhika 3 ) 1) Direktorat Jenderal Lingkungan Hidup Timor-Leste 2) Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Udayana 3) Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Udayana * ) Email: ernestomatos.soares@yahoo.co.id ABSTRACT Manucoco Protected Area is a mountainous conservation area which is very important for Atauro community because it functions as water catchment areas, especially water sources, important habitat for birds and other biodiversity, but there are still problems that occur such as deforestation, shifting cultivation, system of slash-and-burn cultivation, area zoning is not clear, the expansion of settlements and forest fires, all of these problems can give a less impact on ecological functions of the forest. The aims of this study are 1) to describe the perception of the public about the conservation of natural resources Manucoco Protected Area as a conservation area 2) to formulate management strategies for community-based Manucoco Protected Area. The data collection techniques used questionnaires, interviews, documentation, and focus group discussions, whereas the determination of the respondents used a purposive sampling method. To formulate a management strategy, internal and external factors were identified by using SWOT analysis. The results showed that the public perception of the function of the forest was that the forests had multiple functions, the public perception related to management policies showed that people did not know the forestry legislations. Public perception regarding the rights and obligations in the management strategy namely the public has the perception that forests are common property. Based on the SWOT analysis produced several community- based management strategies that can be used in the management of Manucoco protected areas as follow 1) Maximizing the primary function of forests, (2) Increasing public knowledge through an intensive socialization (3) Increasing the involvement or participation of the community 4) Encouraging the community-based forests protection through HKM 5) Acceleration of area zoning 6) Increasing related department supervision 7) Performing the empowerment of communities around the protected areas 8) Preparing management plans which needs to involve all stakeholders 9) Establishing the management unit in the village/sub-district levels. Keywords: Manucoco Protected Area, Pubic Perception, Conservation, Management Strategy 1. PENDAHULUAN Kawasan lindung sebagai kawasan yang mempunyai manfaat untuk mengatur tata air, pengendalian iklim mikro, habitat kehidupan liar, sumber plasma nutfah serta fungsi sosial budaya bagi masyarakat di sekitarnya dengan demikian pengelolaan kawasan lindung harus betul-betul sesuai tingkat kepentinganya bagi suatu wilayah. Pengelolaan hutan mempunyai peran penting untuk menunjang kelangsungan hidup semua mahluk hidup khususnya umat manusia, hutan tidak hanya memberikan manfaat langsung (tangible use) sebagai sumber penghasil hasil hutan berupa kayu dan non kayu, tetapi hutan juga memberikan manfaat tidak langsung (intangible use) sebagai pengatur tata air, kesuburan tanah, iklim mikro, pencegah erosi dan longsor, sehingga eksistensinya perlu tetap dipertahankan melalui pengaturan fungsi hutan, sehingga hutan diartikan sebagai asosiasi masyarakat tumbuh-tumbuhan dan hewan yang didominasi oleh pohon-pohonan dengan luasan tertentu sehingga dapat membentuk iklim mikro dan kondisi ekologi tertentu (Suparmoko,1997). Widada et al. (2006) bahwa hutan mempunyai beberapa fungsi diantaranya; mengatur tata air, mencegah dan membatasi banjir, erosi serta memelihara kesuburan tanah selain itu juga menyediakan hasil hutan untuk keperluan masyarakat, memberikan keindahan alam khususnya dalam bentuk cagar alam, suaka margasatwa,taman wisata, sebagai laboratorium untuk ilmu pengetahuan, pendidikan dan pariwisata fungsi lain juga sebagai salah satu unsur strategi pembangunan nasional. Pengelolaan berbasis masyarakat merupakan suatu upaya pengelolaan yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat bersama-sama dengan pemerintah setempat, pengelolaan berbasis masyarakat ECOTROPHIC • 11 (1) : 15 - 22 p-ISSN: 1907-5626, e-ISSN: 2503-3395