Village-Based Biodiversity and Livelihoods Program with KEHATI

Location: Multiple villages in Indonesia
Period: 2021–2022
Partner: KEHATI (Yayasan Keanekaragaman Hayati Indonesia)

Objective

This collaboration focused on integrating biodiversity conservation into village governance and community-led development. The goal was to enhance the protection of local ecosystems while simultaneously improving sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural communities.

Approach

The program adopted a bottom-up, participatory method centered on village planning. Key elements included:

• Baseline assessments to understand biodiversity status and how communities rely on natural resources (e.g., forests, rivers, non-timber products).
• Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods and social mapping to identify high-value biodiversity areas and overlapping livelihood zones.
• Stakeholder engagement, including village governments (Pemdes), customary leaders, and women’s groups, to ensure inclusive planning.
• Village Regulation (Perdes) drafting or strengthening to formally embed conservation rules, sustainable land use, and community monitoring systems.
• Integration into RPJMDes (Village Medium-Term Development Plans) to ensure sustainability and budgetary allocation for biodiversity-related programs.

Key Results

• Strengthened governance frameworks for biodiversity at the village level, with at least three villages enacting new or updated Perdes focused on conservation.
• Improved institutional awareness among village leadership about the economic and ecological value of biodiversity.
• Identification of practical synergies between conservation and income-generating activities, including ecotourism, agroforestry, and sustainable harvesting of forest products.
• Created the basis for potential follow-on programs to develop biodiversity credit schemes and ecosystem-based livelihoods.

Significance

This program demonstrated how biodiversity conservation can be meaningfully integrated into Indonesia’s decentralized rural development system. By aligning ecological priorities with local governance instruments and community aspirations, the partnership with KEHATI provided a replicable model for ecosystem-friendly village planning and participatory stewardship.

Technical Assistance, Assessments, and Framework Development (2017–2019)

• 2017–2018: RSPO Risk Assessment & Village Selection
  Conducted risk assessments using RSPO Principles & Criteria to identify suitable target villages in Berau District for participatory village planning and financial inclusion strategies. Client: Climate Policy Initiative.
• 2019: Birang Village HCV 4–6 Assessment
  Performed a High Conservation Value (HCV) assessment focusing on HCV 4–6 elements (ecosystem services, community needs, cultural values) in Birang Village, Berau, for YAKOBI and KEHATI.
• 2019: Community–Corporate Social Responsibility (C-CSR) Framework
  Developed a CSR framework aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for ICCO, Penabulu, and PKPA, aiming to create accountable partnerships between communities and companies.
• 2019: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) System – South Sumatra
  Designed an MER framework for the Sembilang–Dangku Landscape program in collaboration with ZSL and Penabulu, supporting data-driven biodiversity and landscape management.
• 2019: Palm Oil Yield Gap Research
  Partnered with University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) in a four-year agronomic study on closing yield gaps in smallholder palm oil plantations in Harapan Jaya Village, Berau.
• 2019: Palm Oil Governance & Certification Study – East Kalimantan
  Supported research with IPB University and ETH Zurich on palm oil governance and value chains in Kutai Kartanegara, including a background study on ISPO certification gaps in partnership with IPB–KEHATI.

9. Participatory Mapping and Village Planning (2020)

• 2020: Participatory Mapping – Kelay–Lesan Landscape
  Led village-scale participatory mapping across 6 villages covering approximately 170,000 ha in Berau District for Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN). Mapped land tenure, ecological assets, and land use planning needs.
• 2020: Village Land Use Planning – Kutai Lama Village
  Facilitated participatory village spatial planning in Kutai Lama, Kutai Kartanegara District, for PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga-Sanga, integrating community aspirations with corporate environmental compliance.
• 2020: Continuation of UNL Yield Assessment Activities
  Extended support for the UNL yield gap research initiated in 2019, ensuring continuity in plot-level data collection and farmer engagement in East Kalimantan.