Advancing Customary Forest Protection and Geopark Conservation FH UNJA Holds FGD on the Designation of Rio Kuaso Customary Forest in Merangin

MERANGIN – The Community Service Team from the Faculty of Law, Universitas Jambi (UNJA), has once again taken concrete action in community service. This time, the UNJA academic team held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Designation of Rio Kuaso Customary Forest, located in Desa Talang Paruh, Kecamatan Lembah Masurai, Kabupaten Merangin, on [Hari/Tanggal Pelaksanaan].

Supporting the Sustainable Management of Merangin Jambi Geopark

This FGD was initiated as part of a strategic effort to provide legal protection and formal recognition for customary forest areas. In addition, this initiative was also designed to align and integrate with the sustainable management efforts of the Merangin Jambi UNESCO Global Geopark. Notably, the FGD was held in parallel with the Disaster Mitigation Outreach activity in the same area.

Cross-Sector Community Collaboration

To arrive at a comprehensive framework of solutions and recommendations, this FGD involved the active participation of various stakeholders at the village level. The discussion forum was attended by village government officials, customary leaders, community figures, and management of the Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes).

In this forum, all parties came together to examine several crucial matters, including:

• Identification and mapping of the potential Customary Forest area.
• Confirmation of customary territorial boundaries.
• Formulation of strategic recommendations as an initial step toward the formal designation of Rio Kuaso Customary Forest.

A Commitment to Community Service with Real Impact

This FGD was not merely an ordinary discussion forum, but a concrete manifestation of the commitment of FH UNJA academics to advancing research and community service with direct impact. Through this study and mentoring process, it is hoped that significant contributions will emerge for the development of both constitutional law and customary (adat) law.

Furthermore, this step is expected to strengthen the foundation of protection for customary law communities, while contributing directly to the vision of sustainable development, both at the regional level in Merangin Regency and at the national level.