DINAMIKA MATA PENCAHARIAN MASYARAKAT PENGELOLA EKOWISATA KALIBIRU DI KAWASAN HUTAN KEMASYARAKATAN MANDIRI, KALIBIRU, KULON PROGO

Aushina Ika Rachmalia, Dr. Rhomi Ardiansyah, S.Hut., M.Si.

2026 | Skripsi | KEHUTANAN

Ekowisata berbasis Hutan Kemasyarakatan (HKm) berperan penting dalam menciptakan mata pencaharian masyarakat lokal, salah satunya Ekowisata Kalibiru, Kulon Progo, yang mengalami transformasi ekonomi signifikan sejak meraih penghargaan Wana Lestari 2014. Namun, penurunan pengunjung sejak 2017 yang diperparah pandemi COVID-19 dan berlanjut hingga 2024 menimbulkan tekanan struktural terhadap mata pencaharian masyarakat pengelola. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk (1) memetakan karakteristik pekerja, (2) memetakan dinamika mata pencaharian pasca penurunan pengunjung, dan (3) menganalisis persepsi terhadap faktor-faktor penyebabnya.

Penelitian menggunakan desain deskriptif kuantitatif dengan targeted sampling pada populasi hidden (N=247), menghasilkan 60 responden yang melampaui ambang minimal 54 responden dari rumus Lemeshow dengan koreksi populasi terhingga. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner terstruktur (skala Likert 1-4), dilengkapi observasi lapangan. Instrumen persepsi (18 item) telah diuji validitas (r-tabel=0,254) dan reliabilitas (Cronbach's Alpha=0,718), dianalisis secara deskriptif tanpa uji inferensial.

Pekerja Kalibiru didominasi laki-laki (75%), usia 31-40 tahun (35%), lulusan SMA/SMK (82%), berpendapatan mayoritas Rp1.500.000-Rp2.500.000 (2026). Mayoritas (66,7%) beralih sektor, 16,7% kembali ke pertanian, dan 16,7% masih terlibat ekowisata (13,3% tetap, 3,3% rangkap). Perpindahan terjadi dua gelombang: 4-6 tahun lalu didominasi "tidak ada pilihan lain" (respons pandemi), sementara 1-3 tahun terakhir didominasi "pekerjaan ekowisata berkurang" (tekanan struktural berlanjut). Kelompok bertahan justru didominasi perempuan (60%) dengan separuhnya berpendapatan di bawah UMK, mengindikasikan job embeddedness. Sebagian pekerja menjalankan pendapatan ganda (beternak, empon-empon). Jumlah pengunjung dan kapasitas F&B menjadi faktor paling dominan, sementara kebijakan KTHKm, keterampilan, dan motivasi berperan sebagai faktor penahan.

Community-based forest ecotourism (Hutan Kemasyarakatan/HKm) plays an important role in creating local livelihoods, as seen in Kalibiru Nature Tourism, Kulon Progo, which underwent significant economic transformation after receiving the Wana Lestari award in 2014. However, declining visitor numbers since 2017, worsened by COVID-19 and persisting through 2024, have placed structural pressure on managers' livelihoods. This study aims to (1) map worker characteristics, (2) map livelihood dynamics following the visitor decline, and (3) analyze perceptions of the underlying causal factors.

This research used a descriptive quantitative design with targeted sampling on a hidden population (N=247), yielding 60 respondents exceeding the minimum threshold of 54 derived from the Lemeshow formula with finite population correction. Data were collected through structured questionnaires (4 point Likert scale) complemented by field observation. The perception instrument (18 items) was tested for validity (r-table=0.254) and reliability (Cronbach's Alpha=0.718), analyzed descriptively without inferential testing.

Kalibiru's workers are predominantly male (75%), aged 31-40 (35%), high school educated (82%), with majority income of IDR 1,500,000-2,500,000 (2026). The majority (66.7%) shifted sectors, 16.7% returned to agriculture, and 16.7% remained in ecotourism (13.3% fully, 3.3% dual job). The shift occurred in two waves: 4-6 years ago dominated by "no other choice" (pandemic response), while the recent 1-3 year wave was dominated by "reduced ecotourism work" (continued structural pressure). Those who remained were predominantly female (60%), with half earning below minimum wage, suggesting job embeddedness. Some workers maintain dual income sources (livestock, empon-empon). Visitor numbers and F&B capacity were the most dominant factors, while KTHKm policy, skills, and motivation functioned as retention factors.

Kata Kunci : Hutan Kemasyarakatan, dinamika mata pencaharian, diversifikasi mata pencaharian, job embeddedness, persepsi faktor penyebab