Waqf Forest: Theory and Practice officially released

MOSAIC-INDONESIA, BANDUNG — MOSAIC collaborates with Bogor Forest Waqf Foundation to release a book entitle Waqaf Forest: Theory and Practice. The book, which is written by the Chairman of the Bogor Waqaf Forest Foundation Khalifah Muhammad Ali, was launched in Bandung, West Java, Wednesday (25/9/2024). Khalifah expect this book be a reference for people who want to get to know more about the waqf forest.

“This event is the launch event of the waqaf forest book, so the waqaf forest is a relatively new thing among society,” said the author of the book Khalifa Muhammad Ali during the research dissemination and launch of the waqaf forest book at Aston Tropicana Hotel, Bandung City, Wednesday (25/9/2024).

Khalifah said the book contains about the concept of waqf forest, application and implementation of waqf forest management. Not only that, the material of the book is written based on the experience of managing 2.5 hectares of waqaf forest in Pamijahan District, Bogor Regency from 2018 to the present.

He said that the book materials had also been published in scientific journals. He hopes to be able to communicate about the waqf forest to the community with this book. “Many people are researching the waqaf forest from Malaysia so they need a data collection book about the waqaf forest. Of all it was compiled in a book,” he said.

Khalifah who is also known as a lecturer and researcher from IPB University said that the waqf forests management in Indonesia has begun to be carried out in some areas. He described that waqaf forests already existed in the provinces of Aceh, Mojokerto, Central Java and Bogor, West Java.

In the midst of climate change occurring and predicted to get worse, he called the waqf forest doable by the community. Various advantages exist in the management of waqf forests that can be done. He explained that the advantages of waqf forest management are from sustainibility, productivity and can be widely developed.

In the future, he mentioned the challenges faced in the management of the waqaf forest, namely from the internal side related to the availability of human resources and financial sustainability. Meanwhile, from the external side, people's literacy on the concept of the waqf forest.

Therefore, it launched a book that is hoped to make it easier for people to seek referrals about the waqf forest. Deputy Secretary of the Indonesian Waqf Agency (BWI) Emmy Hamidiyah appreciated this book realeased. She hoped this book could give more knowledge about the waqaf forest. She called the book a reference in the management of the waqf forest.” We are delighted with this book,” she said.

Emmy said the number of total 57 acres of the waqf area, the majority is in the form of mosques, mushola. Furthermore, it used boarding schools, schools, tombs as well as socioeconomic.

Muslim Steering Committee for Shared Action on Climate Impact (Mosaic) Nur Hasan Murtiaji said the awareness of Muslims in Indonesia, especially the younger generation, towards the issue of climate change is very high. In addition, it has an important role to play in the issue.” Muslims as the majority of the population have an important role,” said Hasan, who is also the Director of PT Republika Media Mandiri.