[Truncated abstract] The initial success of the Green Revolution notwithstanding, the ability of our planet to produce sufficient food to support its growing population is causing growing concern. Indonesia, like many other countries, cannot produce sufficient rice to feed its people. This creates an imperative to import rice that Indonesia wishes to overcome. In addition, agricultural intensification has created ecological contamination from overuse and the mismanagement of chemical inputs. These problems threaten the sustainability of agricultural lands and Indonesia's ability to support national food selfsufficiency. The extension of agricultural lands is one alternative that has been implemented by the Indonesian government for more than two decades. Families from the crowded islands of Java and Bali have been translocated to the outer islands of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. In South Kalimantan, the tidal swampland areas are one of the resettlement destinations; which are usually reclaimed for the purpose of increasing rice production. However, the difference between the natural characteristics, socialeconomics, language, and culture in South Kalimantan, compared with the homelands of the transmigrant farmers, has the potential to adversely affect the farming activities of both the transmigrant and the local indigenous farmers. This in turn might affect the sustainability of the tidal wetlands for agricultural production. It may also damage the ecological integrity of the coastal environment ... The research findings indicate that farming practices by the groups differed significantly. Similarly, there was a significant difference between the cultivation of traditional rice varieties and the HYV. Farming practices performed by the indigenous local farmers, who have lived in the swamplands for centuries, were more ecologically sustainable than those of their transmigrant counterparts in both of the tidal swamplands being assessed. Likewise, traditional (indigenous) rice variety cultivation appears to be more sustainable than the HYVs. Among the socio-economic and agronomic influences of the farming practices selected for statistical analysis, only the non-formal education variable had a significant impact on the sustainability index. Tidal swampland Type B has lower yields than Type A, but in both swampland types, indigenous farmers produce higher yields than the transmigrant farmers, while the HYV has a higher yield over the traditional one. Indigenous farmers received higher financial returns per ha compared to the transmigrant returns in tidal swampland Type A and Type B. The higher yields produced by the HYVs are not accompanied by a higher financial return per ha compared to the traditional variety. The conclusions of this research are that not only are indigenous farming practices more sustainable but that indigenous farmers achieve a higher overall output and higher returns per ha from their farming activities. Future research should be formulated to further investigate the implications for both increasing rice production and sustainability by extending the use of indigenous farming systems. The sustainability index developed in this research should be investigated for adaptation in other areas of Indonesia and possibly by other farming areas internationally.

Forest degradation and deforestation have been pervasive problems in Indonesia and the country is placed second in terms of a high rate of tropical deforestation. Different definitions and different techniques have been used to quantify forest degradation and deforestation in Indonesia, and different factors have been detected as direct and underlying causes. However, almost no quantitative studies have been conducted to relate deforestation and forest degradation to the causes. This study quantifies the rate of forest degradation and deforestation between 2000 and 2009 in three provinces of Indonesia, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and South East Sulawesi, as a case study. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to generate geographic datasets to allow quantification; accompanied by a descriptive statistical analysis. Land cover in 2000 and 2009 was used as the basis of analysis. A national land use classification was aggregated into 10 different land use classes. Changes in land use between 2000 and 2009 allowed quantification of the rates of forest degradation and deforestation as well as the association between degradation and deforestation and potential causes. Overall, 95% of primary forest degradation in South Kalimantan, 65% in East Kalimantan, and 46% in SE Sulawesi were associated with direct causes such as forest concessions, mining activities and the government-sponsored transmigration program. The selected direct causes explain 56% of secondary forest deforestation in South Kalimantan, 44% in East Kalimantan and 55% in SE Sulawesi. Results of this study also show that forest degradation and deforestation occurred across the official forest areas. Almost 40% of forest degradation in South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan occurred in conservation forests and production forests respectively; while 57% of forest degradation in SE Sulawesi occurred in protected forests. Deforestation occurred 29% and 34% in the production forests of South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan respectively. In SE Sulawesi, 34% of deforestation occurred in watershed protection forests. This study suggests that current practice in the forest resources management in Indonesia is not effective and efficient enough to mitigate and to halt forest degradation and deforestation. This is due to the lack of consistency in implementing forest land use policy, mistaken policy interventions, and non-synchronised policy between central and local governments. Policy reform is needed to conserve the remaining forest resources and mega-diversity of Indonesia.

This study aims at investigating similarities and differences in the curriculum development processes in two selected pesantrens in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The research explores the involvement of key stakeholders in the curriculum development processes and the curriculum itself. The study is a qualitative approach, which, in collecting the data, employs in-depth interviews with the kyais (leaders), ustadzs (teachers), and santris (students); observation on the pesantrens’ daily life and classroom activities; and relevant documentation. The findings suggest that there are similarities and differences in both pesantrens in the curriculum development processes. Both pesantrens can be classified as Site-Based Managed Schools in which all interactions of the members are permeated with some values. However, Pesantren A has a rather collaborative and goal-oriented curriculum development process, while Pesantren B tended to conduct a single-handed and content-oriented one. The curriculum of Pesantren A is a subject-based curriculum accommodating both religious and non-religious disciplines in relatively the same proportion, whereas that of Pesantren B is a kitab (book)-based curriculum accommodating largely religious disciplines. Overall, it was found that both pesantrens need to conduct more collaborative and systematic curriculum processes. To do so, since ustadzs have a significant influence on the curriculum, there is a need for well-directed and organised professional development programs focusing on pedagogical issues. There is also a need to set some indicators for curriculum evaluation based on the context of Islamic education and immediate societal demands.