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In the remote and biodiversity-rich Banggai archipelago of Indonesia, researchers are enhancing the conservation possibilities for indigenous communities, while also bridging critical gaps in governance and policy. Dr. Annisa Triyanti (�����̨): “Working with Indonesian colleagues and students who know the area we have been able to stimulate conservation by peer-to-peer learning. The islanders live an isolated life, and through this Seed funded project we connected communities with each other and share their knowledge on conservation.”

The Banggai archipelago, centred around its main island Peleng, is home to unique ecosystems such as rainforests, mangroves, reefs, and seagrasses. It also hosts endangered species like the critically endangered Banggai Crow and the endangered Peleng Tarsier. Despite its ecological significance, the area’s geographical isolation has hindered conservation efforts. Prior to this initiative, there were no protected areas or development efforts for conservation capacity in this remote archipelago.

Trust and local knowledge

Dr. Triyanti, who has been working on the governance of ecosystems, started with the Banggai-project after forming a network with colleagues from the Research Center for Climate Change University of Indonesia (RCCC-UI) and the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency. “Especially Dr. Mochamad Indrawan, a conservation biologist from the University of Indonesia, who has been conducting research in that area for about 30 years. His relationship with the indigenous community opened the door for us to engage with the locals and learn from them," Dr. Triyanti notes, emphasizing the importance of trust. This trust is crucial for any successful local conservation effort. The initiative also involved university students working on their thesis. One of them originally came from Banggai, which strengthened the project’s connection with the local community.

Peer-to-peer

The project’s cornerstone is peer-to-peer learning among indigenous people and local communities. Study visits were organized for village leaders to other communities, inspiring and supporting community-based conservation initiatives. This approach underscores the strength of local social capital essential for conservation and sustainability. "By facilitating these interactions, we could document and support community-led conservation efforts, with practices such as protecting sacred forest spaces and the creating of a conservation park. It is important that we keep in mind the different perspectives on conservation and that we don’t impose, as scientists, what conservation is or should be.” 

Challenges

Despite the community’s efforts, a significant challenge remains: the lack of support from local and national governments. Dr. Triyanti: “The local communities’ conservation efforts are not adequately recognized or supported, making it difficult for them to protect their land from future (industrial) encroachment.” The welfare in the area is really low, there is no basic infrastructure, no proper roads. “The locals feel like they are not supported. I think there should be a balance where nature is conserved, locals feel that they’re not forgotten by the government and an improvement of basic needs, basic economic welfare.” 

Documentary

The project aims to bridge this gap by raising awareness among government officials and advocating for policy changes that support community-led conservation. A documentary with support from a follow-up funding from the Public Engagement Seed Money Utrecht University, is in the making to capture the project's findings and experiences, aiming to raise awareness and engage stakeholders further. The film will be used to discuss the process further with the local community and see what the future steps can be. Afterwards, it will also be shown to local governments in order to trigger discussion and hopefully lead to ways in which the indigenous community can form a self-governance system for conservation. 

By diving deep into community-led conservation, this initiative hopes to inspire similar efforts across Indonesia and beyond, ultimately influencing policy changes and improving the recognition and support of indigenous conservation practices. 

This project was funded by the Pathways to Sustainability strategic theme.