Developing multi-stakeholder forest management scenarios: a multi-agent system simulation approach applied in Indonesia

Published Date
May 2005, Vol.7(4):475–491, doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2003.08.004

Author 

• Herry Purnomo ^a,b
• Guillermo A. Mendoza ^c,,
• Ravi Prabhu ^d
• Yurdi Yasmi ^b

• aFaculty of Forestry, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
• bCenter for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia
• cDepartment of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
• dCenter for International Forestry Research, Regional Office, Harare, Zimbabwe

Received 20 December 2002. Revised 14 August 2003. Accepted 19 August 2003. Available online 14 November 2003. 

Abstract

Participatory approaches to development in general and natural resource management in particular are now a widely accepted management strategy. Multi-agent system (MAS), a computer-based tool, offers a promising approach for multi-stakeholder management systems such as the case involving community-managed resources. MAS provides a framework where stakeholders’ (or agents) individual actions, behaviors and rational decisions can be analyzed in the context of the other stakeholders’ actions and decisions. This robust approach offers a convenient analytical framework that can be used to simulate agents’ actions, reactions and interactions. The approach also provides an environment where strategies or multi-stakeholder forest management scenarios can be developed and analyzed. This paper describes a MAS model developed for a forest management unit located in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Results and experience gained from the case study suggest that MAS is a suitable approach for developing multi-stakeholder forest management strategies.

Keywords

Multi-agent systems

Participatory methods

Multi-stakeholder simulation

Community-managed resource

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