From Customary Forests to Climate Finance: VCA Indonesia is Championing Climate Justice from the Ground Up

In the heart of the archipelago, from the mangrove-lined shores of East Nusa Tenggara to the deep forests of Papua, a quiet yet powerful transformation is unfolding. It is not driven solely by governments or institutions, but by communities, consisting of various indigenous elders, young activists, village heads, and local women, who are reclaiming their right to shape the future of their lands and climate.

At its core, VCA Indonesia believes that solutions to the climate crisis must come from those who face its impacts most directly. That belief is taking root through bold work in climate finance, policy integration, and the formal recognition of customary rights. So far, this has helped mobilise over IDR 24.5 billion (approximately EUR 1.39 million), with strong contributions from both government and non-government sources.

But numbers are only part of the story.

During the recent Indonesia Climate Week, VCA partners came together with national representatives to create space for grassroots voices to be heard at the highest levels. Through direct hearings with institutions such as the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF), and the Ministry of Village and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (MoVDDR), communities presented their lived experiences and local knowledge as essential inputs to the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN). In the lead-up to a new government era, these interactions aim to shape a more inclusive climate agenda; one where national priorities are grounded in local realities.

This grassroots-to-policy bridge also extends to regional and sub-national levels. In East Sumba, VCA partners successfully included indigenous rights and climate change into the region’s Long-Term Development Plan for 2025–2045. In Lembata, climate change has been recognised as a key strategic issue within its regional planning document. These victories did not come overnight, but through sustained dialogue, collective organising, and community-led evidence-building. These big efforts will continue across other districts until all regional plans are finalised by September 2025.

Change is often most visible and deeply felt at the village level. In East Nusa Tenggara’s Lamatokan, local traditions were fortified through a village regulation to protect the Muro Practice, an ancestral way of managing natural resources. Meanwhile, in the same province but a different village, Tanah Merah, a regulation on “Kewenangan Asal Usul Desa” has empowered villagers to take charge of their mangrove ecosystems. In Sardonoharjo, Special Region of Yogyakarta, a village not initially reached by the VCA alliance, residents initiated their own waste management advocacy. With VCA’s support, they worked together with their sub-village heads, community organisations, and the Head of Kelurahan to craft and pass Regulation No. 3/2024, which laid the foundation for an integrated waste management system at the urban-village level.

Beyond environmental protection, these local regulations represent something deeper: recognition. These regulations acknowledge the ability of communities to self-govern. That their knowledge matters. That their stories are policy-worthy. This pursuit of recognition takes on a powerful form in Papua and Papua Selatan, where VCA and its partners have been advancing the formal designation of customary forests. Gaining recognition as a customary area is a complex process, involving participatory mapping, community consultations, and legal verification. But the outcomes are transformative.

In Tambrauw Regency, six customary territories were verified and validated, leading to the official recognition of the Abun Tat Yessa Customary Area covering over 58,000 hectares by regency decree in December 2024. Similarly, in Asmat Regency, the Unir Sirau customary area, encompassing 129,250 hectares, underwent spatial and non-spatial data verification through collaborative workshops. This process, rooted in a partnership between WWF-Indonesia, BRWA, the YASA Foundation, and the Asmat Customary Council, is paving the way for future regional laws that recognise and protect indigenous stewardship of land and forests.

And amidst all this policy and advocacy, there’s still room for celebration and reflection. On the island of Flores, the Pesta Raya Flobamoratas festival became more than just a cultural gathering, but a living classroom on sustainable organising. Communities learned how to minimise electricity use, reduce food waste, and even measure their carbon footprint. With the guidance of climate experts, they pledged to replant trees on their island as part of their commitment to offset emissions. The event served as a tangible reminder: climate action doesn’t have to come from a government directive; it can start with a festival, a song, a tree planted in memory of shared dreams.

VCA Indonesia’s story is ultimately about people reclaiming their power to protect the planet. It’s about villagers who write laws, elders who map forests, women who stand up for their mangroves, and youth who lead movements. As we look toward 2025 and beyond, the vision is clear: climate justice is not just an agenda item; it is a lived reality, being shaped every day by those who call this land home.