Indonesia’s forests continue to face pressures from deforestation, forest and land fires, peatland degradation, and unsustainable land conversion. La Ode M. Aslan argues, these interconnected challenges will have implications that extend beyond the loss of forest cover. They affect human health, biodiversity, economic productivity, community livelihoods, and the ecological conditions required for sustainable development.
How do we build a society where vulnerable and marginalized communities are not merely protected, but are genuinely able to influence the decisions that shape their lives? This is my reflection on the future of civil society.
Climate change is not only an environmental challenge, but also a challenge of inclusion, resilience, governance, and livelihoods. Those most vulnerable to climate impacts must be part of the conversation.
Kobaena is where the Bajau, Moronene, Wuna-Wolio, Tolaki, and Bugis-Makassar peoples paddled and sailed their kole-kole, jarangka, sope, and phinisi to find the meaning of life in harmony with nature and their environment. Today’s Kabaena is far different from the old portrait and the old song of the island.
Too often, discussions on tourism infrastructure and urban planning remain trapped within narrow sectoral thinking. Accessibility is treated as a specialized issue for persons with disabilities, climate is discussed separately as an environmental issue, while governance, economic inequality, ageing populations, and technological transformation are addressed through different institutional silos. Yet in reality, these crises and transitions are deeply interconnected.
Decarbonization, renewable expansion and emissions reduction became the primary benchmarks of success. Energy was framed largely as an environmental issue, with progress measured by how quickly systems could move away from fossil fuels. That framing is now evolving.
