Indonesia, the world’s sixth-largest carbon emitter, released an estimated 729 million tons of CO₂ in 2022, underscoring the country’s significant challenges in land-use governance and climate justice. The forestry and land-use change sector (LULUCF), driven by deforestation, forest fires, and peatland degradation, accounts for more than half of the nation’s total emissions.
Mining activities have further intensified environmental degradation and frequently undermined the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Between 2001 and 2023, approximately 721,000 hectares of forest were cleared for nickel and other mineral extraction, while an estimated 60 percent of mining concessions failed to comply with the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). As a result, customary rights over 40 million hectares of forest—upon which nearly 70 million Indigenous people depend for their livelihoods—have come under increasing pressure.
These challenges are unfolding amid a shrinking civic space. Indonesia’s democracy score stood at only 59 out of 100 in 2023 (CIVICUS, 2023), reflecting a decline in opportunities for meaningful public participation.
Institutional barriers, financial dependency, and gaps in technical capacity continue to constrain the effectiveness of advocacy efforts and multi-stakeholder collaboration aimed at advancing climate justice. Strengthening civil society capacity is therefore essential to promoting equitable and sustainable land-use policies.
To address these challenges, PWYP Indonesia, with support from Ford Foundation Indonesia, is implementing a community empowerment program across five regions of Indonesia to advance sustainable and climate-just land governance while amplifying community voices in global forums.
The program aligns with the 2030 Global Strategy of the Resource Justice Network (formerly Publish What You Pay Global), which promotes justice and equity in natural resource and energy governance through a holistic approach that integrates natural resources, climate action, and social justice.
It also supports the Ford Foundation’s Natural Resources and Climate Justice (NRCJ) Strategy, which focuses on recognizing and protecting the rights and aspirations of historically marginalized communities with deep connections to land and natural resources.
By strengthening civil society’s capacity to advocate for fair and sustainable land-use policies, the project seeks to address inequalities in land ownership, the distribution of economic benefits, and public decision-making, while empowering Indigenous Peoples and other vulnerable groups to actively participate in climate governance at the local, national, and global levels.
The program pursues two primary objectives. First, it seeks to advance socio-ecological justice by promoting inclusive land-use and climate governance in Indonesia, safeguarding No-Go Zones, and empowering vulnerable communities through stronger connections between local and global advocacy efforts. Second, it aims to strengthen civil society organizations by enhancing institutional capacity, financial sustainability, and organizational innovation, while improving governance and coordination among PWYP Indonesia coalition members through transparent, integrated, and accessible digital systems.
Implementation focuses on five regional clusters: Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and North Maluku, Central Java, East Java, the Special Region of Yogyakarta, and West Nusa Tenggara, as well as Jakarta, West Java, and Banten. These regions reflect Indonesia’s diverse socio-ecological contexts and the complex interactions between extractive industries, land-use governance, and environmental sustainability.
The program is designed to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) and communities in land and climate governance. Through mentoring and capacity-building initiatives, CSOs and communities are supported in developing a deeper understanding of strategic issues in natural resource governance while leading efforts to protect No-Go Zones and Community-Managed Forests (Hutan Kelola Masyarakat/HKM). This approach directly addresses two key barriers to community participation: limited access to knowledge and inadequate opportunities for meaningful engagement.
Efforts to strengthen land and climate governance are also pursued by developing policy recommendations at both national and subnational levels. These recommendations are developed in collaboration with communities and submitted to government institutions as part of broader efforts to protect Community-Managed Forests and No-Go Zones. Community-led monitoring of mining permits in small islands and coastal areas forms an important component of this advocacy agenda.
In the area of environmental restoration, the program promotes stronger implementation of mine reclamation and post-mining rehabilitation, with particular attention to the utilization of reclamation and post-mining guarantee funds in West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan. These efforts are intended to restore degraded land, ecosystems, and forests affected by mining activities.
To strengthen civic participation and accountability (LABS), the program develops multi-stakeholder platforms and digital campaigns that promote equitable land governance while connecting community voices to regional and global platforms, including the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) and ASEAN processes. As part of broader digital ecosystem development, PWYP Indonesia is also building an integrated network platform linked to internal management applications, supported by standardized guidelines and user protocols.