October 22, 2025
JAKARTA – Indigenous communities in Indonesia continue to bear heavy burdens from the climate crisis impact by losing their homes and livelihoods and face environmental disasters, while engaging in little to no meaningful participation in mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Indonesia is home to more than 2,000 indigenous groups, totaling between 40 to 70 million people who live across the archipelago, according to the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN).
Many of them live in remote and isolated regions, inhabiting coastline and forest areas whose land often holds no state recognition despite their roles of safeguarding biodiversity and the ecosystem. These areas, however, are more prone to the impacts of the climate crisis, such as rising sea levels and forest and peatland fires.
But indigenous peoples have been marginalized, according to anthropologist Imam Ardhianto from University of Indonesia, as they are sidelined in every measure to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of the crisis despite their situation being worsened as global heating persists.
These communities also have weak bargaining power in policy drafting, leading to several industrial and development projects done in their area without their consent.
“There have been conflicting regulations that sideline indigenous communities in public policy,” Imam said in a discussion hosted by the Society of Indonesian Science Journalists (SISJ) on Saturday.
“There is no commitment that allows these communities to withhold consent to any activities affecting their lands, although it is very critical to provide space for them to speak up for themselves.”
Read also: Court allows indigenous peoples to cultivate forests
The combination of climate crisis and nonconsensual projects, he added, triggered agrarian conflict in several areas and forced the local communities to displace from their homes.
A report issued in 2024 by AMAN recorded at least 687 agrarian conflicts involving indigenous people triggered by projects from private and public sectors in the past decade. The figure involved more than 11 million hectares of customary land, an area almost the size of South Korea.
Meanwhile, the Forestry Ministry granted only 330,000 ha of customary forests to 80,000 indigenous households since 2016.
Being vulnerable to impacts of the climate crisis may force indigenous communities to abandon traditions they have done for generations, including ones that are beneficial to the environment.
In Maluku, for example, the customary Sasi tradition focusing on rotational harvesting is being threatened by the ongoing disaster risks and changing climate patterns fueled by unchecked industrial projects.
“Now there are significant risks for them against continuing practicing such [climate resilience] traditions,” Kompas journalist Irma Tambunan said at Saturday’s discussion.
Julmansyah, the ministry’s director for tenurial conflict and customary forest management, acknowledged the contribution of indigenous communities in reducing greenhouse gas emission by maintaining forest and tree cover.
“We will expedite and expand forest areas granted to [indigenous communities],” he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday, adding that the ministry had set a target to grant up to 100,000 ha of customary forest by year-end.
Some regulations, such as the Job Creation Law, also put indigenous communities into the corner by, among other measures, restricting them to cultivating forest lands or opening small-scale plantations to fulfill their daily needs.
But the Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday in favor of environmental groups to allow indigenous groups to cultivate forest areas without obtaining permits and protect them from any criminal necessaries.
While the ruling was widely lauded, environmentalists deemed it insufficient without the state passing the long-stalled indigenous peoples bill, which would guarantee formal recognition and protection for indigenous communities. The policy is also expected to strengthen indigenous people’s position in preserving the environment, mitigating climate crisis and protecting biodiversity.
Read also: Unchecked nickel mining fuels environmental, social crises
Mining, especially on so-called critical minerals such as nickel, are among industries whose expansion in the country threatens indigenous communities.
A report published on Thursday by Climate Rights International (CRI) found nickel mining and processing industries in Indonesia have transformed rural areas into industrial zones, causing heavy damage to the livelihoods and culture of indigenous communities as well as local biodiversity.
In three key nickel-producing regions in Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and North Maluku, the industry polluted lands and waterways, destroyed forest and fisheries and produced air pollution that triggered respiratory illness.
To protect the local people, CRI suggested policymakers pass the long-awaited indigenous peoples bill, among other recommendations.
Several lawmakers have voiced their support for the bill, which is included in the House of Representatives’ 2025 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) priority list. However, activists remain skeptical they can pass the draft law in the near future.