Legal Outreach on the Impacts of Mangrove Forest Conversion through a Forestry Law Approach in Sugian Village, East Lombok

Abstract

Part of the mangrove fringe on the coast of Sugian Village, Sambelia District, East Lombok Regency, adjacent to the Gili Sulat–Gili Lawang Marine Tourism Park, has been converted into aquaculture ponds, several of which are now inactive. Mangrove protection is governed by forestry, coastal, and environmental legislation, yet these rules are rarely known at the village level. This article reports a community service activity consisting of a single legal outreach session held on 3 July 2026 with 25 invited participants: pond farmers, fishers, village officials, youth, and members of women’s groups. The session combined two short lectures with two-way discussion. Participants’ initial understanding and their responses to the material were documented qualitatively in facilitator field notes, organized around three indicators: activeness in discussion, the content of questions, and the ability to relate the material to village conditions. No pre-test or post-test was administered; the findings therefore describe group-level responses observed during one session rather than measured individual learning gains. Participants’ opening remarks referred mainly to the direct benefits of mangroves, and most indicated no awareness that mangrove clearing is restricted by law. During the discussion, participants asked about the legal status of inactive ponds and about how their ecological functions could be restored, and some expressed interest in forming a mangrove care group. The activity thus touched, at most, the levels of legal knowledge and legal understanding among those present. Follow-up assistance is needed, beginning with clarification of land status and of the responsible authorities, before a community oversight group and the rehabilitation of inactive ponds can be pursued.