Community Roles Model in Buffer Zone of the Proboscis Monkey Habitat for Wetland Environmental Conservation

Abstract

This study investigates community role models in the buffer zone of the proboscis monkey (Nasalis Larvatus) habitat to improve wetland conservation through a mixed-methods exploratory sequential design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with local communities and Sahabat Bekantan Indonesia Foundation, non-participatory observation, a survey of 322 respondents in the buffer zone of the proboscis monkey habitat in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The findings reveal that community involvement is manifested through three key constructs: (1) Community-Based Natural Resource Management, including monitoring activities, reforestation initiatives, and tourism awareness groups; (2) Local Knowledge, reflected not in formal rituals but in environmental awareness and positive responses toward proboscis monkey conservation; and (3) Sustainable Livelihood Approaches, represented by ecotourism village programs and sustainable fishing practices. Quantitative analysis confirms that these constructs significantly influence wetland conservation (R² = 0.758), with the Community-Based Approach showing the strongest predictive power (β = 0.433), followed by the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (β = 0.262) and Local Knowledge (β = 0.225). These results highlight the strategic importance of community empowerment, integration of local knowledge, and alignment of conservation objectives with economic welfare in managing vulnerable tropical ecosystem buffer zones, while also providing practical implications for the formulation of sustainable environmental preservation policies in similar contexts.