North Sulawesi and the Sitaro island-scapes
From Manado to Bitung, there are large industrial industries driving economic development. These include fisheries, canning factories, mining, and international trade. The land and seascapes are complex and managed by local people as they respond to economic, social, and natural triggers. Natural hazards, climate variability, accessibility, extractive industries, food security and water scarcity are interlinked as big drivers of change in the landscapes. Working with the Red Cross, local communities, and the private sector, we have sought to identify pre-existing capacities so that development interventions and initiatives are harmonious with local contexts.
Gorontalo
Working with Burung Indonesia, we have sought institutional mechanisms that might bring together diverse actors to better coordinate their efforts for better conservation and development outcomes. Burung Indonesia achieved invested heavily into the establishment of Ecosystem Restoration Concessions (ERCs), a major legislative success. In the Pohuwato regency and the Popayato-Paguat Landscapes, we have been working to experiment with ERCs as a method for employing the Landscape Approach with a broad range of stakeholders. Landscapes are on the cusp of major changes from investments into estate crops – oil palm, corn, and others. Forests are still rich in biodiversity, but local people are aspire for greater prosperity and managing those tradeoffs for the better will require closing institutional gaps, vertically and horizontally.