https://talenta.usu.ac.id/jeds <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Journal of Environmental and Development Studies</strong> is a peer-reviewed journal published by TALENTA (Universitas Sumatera Utara's Journals Publisher) and managed by Postgraduate School, Universitas Sumatera Utara. This journal is published two times a year in March and September, and all papers are written in English. <em><strong>The author can submit articles in English and Bahasa Indonesia. Authors who submit articles in Bahasa Indonesia will be charged for translation fee.</strong></em> The aims of this journal are to provide a venue for graduate students, academicians, researchers, and practitioners to publish original research articles or review articles. Journal of Environmental and Development Studies is the available online version with the number ISSN <a href="https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN-L/2745-4592" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2745-4592 </a>(Online). Articles in this journal are indexed by Google Scholar and we are now working to get indexed by Garuda, DOAJ &amp; Sinta.</p> TALENTA Publisher, Universitas Sumatera Utara en-US Journal of Environmental and Development Studies 2745-4592 https://talenta.usu.ac.id/jeds/article/view/17098 <p>The Tapanuli orangutan (<em>Pongo tapanuliensis</em>) is critically endangered and inhabits the Batangtoru Ecosystem, the last refuge of the southernmost orangutan population in Sumatra. Habitat fragmentation due to development from 1989 to 2013 left around 767 individuals in two wild populations, which are predicted to be unable to survive for the next 500 years. This research aims to analyze community perceptions and participation in the initiation of the Tapanuli Orangutan Corridor development in Hutaimbaru. The research method used was a quantitative approach with a sample of 30 respondents. The results showed that the community’s perception level of corridor development was in the moderate category with a percentage of 61%, while the level of community participation was in the high category with a percentage of 67%. This condition indicates that although community understanding of the corridor program is still limited, they respond positively and demonstrate active involvement. This research emphasizes the importance of a participatory approach through community-based agroforestry development as a corridor-building strategy, which not only benefits the conservation of the Tapanuli orangutan but also supports the improvement of local community welfare.</p> Dede Syahputra Tanjung T. Alief Aththorick Rahmawaty Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Environmental and Development Studies https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2025-09-03 2025-09-03 6 2 063 074 10.32734/jeds.v6i2.17098 https://talenta.usu.ac.id/jeds/article/view/18707 <p class="TP-Abstract-Text"><span lang="EN-US">The management of natural tourism has one goal; one of the main objectives of natural tourism management is to increase local community income, which is closely linked to community participation and perception. This research aims to analyze the level of perception and participation of the Perupuk Village community towards the development of natural tourism at the Pantai Sejarah in Perupuk Village, Batu Bara Regency. This study employed a questionnaire-based interview method with 100 respondents for participation levels and 100 respondents for perception levels, including both residents and visiting tourists. The sample size was determined using Slovin's formula. In addition, direct observations were conducted to study the habits of a group of people in the vicinity of the Pantai Sejarah location, including residents, visiting tourists, traders, and tourism managers. Meanwhile, the relationship between perception, participation, and respondent characteristics was analyzed using Spearman's Rank Correlation Test. The results obtained from this research indicate that the participation level of the Perupuk Village community was high (62.22%), while the perception level was moderate (59.64%). The correlation test results indicate no significant relationship between participation and public perception. These findings suggest that while community participation and perception levels are relatively high, demographic factors such as age, gender, and Education have minimal influence. Further studies should explore strategies to enhance community engagement in tourism development.</span></p> Aulia Rahmi Rahmawaty Rahmawaty Zulkifli Lubis Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Environmental and Development Studies https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2025-09-03 2025-09-03 6 2 075 083 10.32734/jeds.v6i2.18707