In a monumental case, the zonation of the Karimata Marine Nature Reserve opened 83% of the area for community access and co-management, allowing space for settlements, cultural activities, and small-scale fishing. The ten-year management plan, now being drafted, turns that zonation map into concrete action plans on how the reserve will be managed, building on conservation work that communities have led since 2021.
Read MorePico, customary chief of Tadan village, says this quietly, his eyes fixed on the forest standing just beyond the customary longhouse, in Bengkawan, in the misty, mountainous, central forests of Borneo. From where he sits, the canopy is still intact. Tall trees still stand close together, some protected for generations, because they are believed to be an inheritance from the ancestors that must never be cut carelessly. Under their canopy, birdsong breaks the morning quiet, while the Biang River flows calmly nearby, sustaining daily life in the village. From the air, though, the picture looks different: Tadan's customary forest appears as a green island surrounded by oil palm plantations. That contrast is a daily reminder to the community that the space they protect is never entirely safe.
Read MoreThe question comes up a lot. A funder lunch in New York. A Skoll World Forum meeting. A side conversation at a convening. Someone leans in and asks: “So when are you all going to move into more countries? Two? Three? Regional expansion?”
Read MoreStrengthening the role of communities in forest monitoring; The Inaugural Borneo Ranger Conference.
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