Uiutlui

The Balle Bilis Mau Extended Family wants to be part of the community in Batuinan Village located in Semau District—as the owners of the Uiutlui site. Uiutlui means spring (Ui) and is surrounded by stones shaped like boats (Lui). Historically, this spring was discovered when people were eating Uk (fried corn that has been ground or corn flour). Since ancient times, 2 hectares of this location, the parents of the landowners have freed or prohibited disturbing the Uiutlui area. Additionally, there is a small well located not far from the Uiutlui spring. This area has been protected before Batuinan village became an independent village—since the leadership of Mr. Arnol Luin as the Head of Otan Village.

Before the 1980s, the land was managed for farming but is no longer used for that and is only a source of spring water. Then, in the 1990s, the village received assistance from the World Bank to improve the shape of the spring area that resembled a boat into a square-shaped basin. Until now, the Uiutlui spring is shaped like a well. Uiutlui is important to the community because of its benefits, namely for daily needs. The community began planning to protect Uiutlui since 2010, with protection efforts including tree planting every December 25. In addition, there are also meetings for prayers as a sense of gratitude for the land and water results that will be held every August 10 each year at the Uiutlui spring site.

The Balle Billis Mau family has a desire to protect the donated land, together with NGOs and the Batuinan Village Government, the Balle Bilis Mau family seeks advice and support from NGOs working in Batuinan Village, on how to continue this legacy and protect the conservation area. The NGO plays a role in providing an overview of the importance of protecting water catchment areas and forests for ecosystem balance and the sustainability of the lives of communities that depend on spring water sources. Finally, on December 8, 2020, the Balle Billis Mau family donated 4.75 hectares to be protected.

The general public has the right to manage and protect Uiutlui. The utilization of Uiutlui by the community is open to the public and there are no time restrictions. The community is allowed to use Uiutlui for livestock feed and water sourced from the Uiutlui spring. However, the utilization of wood/trees around the Uiutlui area, livestock feed, and hunting of animals around the Uiutlui area only occurred before December 2020. After the Talas process—traditional conservation protection—there will no longer be any wood harvesting or forest products other than the water that is channeled. The regulations for Uiutlui have not been documented in written rules, and there are no customary rules governing the utilization of natural resources in the Uiutlui area. However, its management is still monitored by the landowners. Currently, the management rules only state that the community is prohibited from entering the Uiutlui area indiscriminately. Currently, there are about 20 households utilizing the Uiutlui spring, including several additional springs/wells in the vicinity. Uiutlui is owned by the Balle Bilis Mau extended family, which is part of the community in Batuinan Village. Uiutlui was donated by the Balle Bilis Mau extended family as a protected area in the Batunian Village region.

The owners, the community, and the village government agree to maintain and protect the spring because Uiutlui is beneficial for daily life. Additionally, with the presence of Uiutlui, the community builds ritual activities for tree planting and praying as a form of gratitude. These two activities encourage community efforts in conserving natural resources in the water catchment area and forests, to be passed down to their descendants. Furthermore, the protection of the Uiutlui area contributes to the preservation of the spring ecosystem and the surrounding flora and fauna, such as:

• • Nitas Tree
  • Kusambi Tree
  • Tamarind Tree
  • Petes/Lamtoro
  • Gum
  • Red Wood Tree
  • Kulla Tree
  • Forest Kapok Tree
  • Gamal Tree
  • Tapping Tree/Nira Tree
  • Ambarella

There is currently no legal basis or specific written regulation governing the subject of rights or the protection of the Uiutlui area.