The Indonesian Forum for Living Environment (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia, (WALHI) is an Indonesian environmental non-governmental organization. Established in 1980, it is one of the largest and oldest environmental NGOs in Indonesia, with a network that spans the country, including 487 non-governmental organizations and nature lovers’ communities, and 203 individual members spread across 28 provinces in Indonesia. WALHI is affiliated with Friends of the Earth International, a global network of environmental organizations. This affiliation allows WALHI to collaborate on international environmental campaigns and leverage global support for local environmental issues.
WALHI is widely recognized for its contributions to environmental protection in Indonesia. Their work has led to significant reductions in deforestation rates and has increased awareness of environmental issues among the public and policymakers. In recent years, WALHI has focused on climate change mitigation activities, such as advocating for more substantial national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy. Furthermore, in the forest and Land Use Reform sector, the NGO has been campaigning against land stealing and advocating for land reforms that recognize the rights of Indigenous and local communities. In addition, WALHI has been instrumental in several other successful campaigns to protect Indonesia’s forests. This includes advocacy against illegal logging and land conversion for palm oil plantations, which are significant sources of carbon emissions.
Through the forest moratorium policy, WALHI’s advocacy contributed to protecting over 66 million hectares of forest land. A general estimate is that tropical forests can sequester around 150 to 200 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per hectare over their lifetime. This estimate suggests protecting 66 million hectares of forest could sequester approximately 11.55 billion tons of CO2. Moreover, their community-based forest management programs have encouraged sustainable practices among 1000 local communities, reducing carbon emissions.
WALHI’s funding and support structure is diverse, combining international philanthropic efforts, government pledges, collaborative partnerships, and local community engagement to drive its environmental sustainability and climate justice mission in Indonesia. WALHI benefits from global funding commitments, such as the $1.7 billion Forest Tenure Pledge announced at COP26 in Glasgow. A portion of these funds is channeled to Indonesian communities through WALHI and its partners. WALHI has received support from major international foundations such as the Ford and Packard Foundation. These foundations are part of initiatives like the Nusantara Fund, which aims to provide financial resources directly to indigenous peoples and local communities for environmental protection and climate change mitigation efforts. The Nusantara Fund launched with an initial $3 million, is expected to grow to $20 million and focus on supporting grassroots environmental and agrarian reform movements in Indonesia. WALHI also collaborates with other organizations, such as the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) and the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA), to amplify their efforts in environmental protection and to pool financial resources and expertise to strengthen the impact of their initiative.
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) is an ideal partner for international advocacy NGOs such as Climate Scorecard due to its extensive experience, credibility, national and international network, diverse and inclusive advocacy, strong focus on community engagement, alignment with global goals, and proven impact in environmental conservation and climate justice. Joining hands with WALHI can ensure that collaborative efforts will be practical and sustainable and can help advocate for climate change.
This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard Indonesia Country Manager Netra Naik.
Name of the NGO: Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI),
Director: Zenzi Suhadi
Contact: zenzi@walhi.or.id
Organizational contact details
Phone no: +62-21-79193363
+62-21-7941673
Email id: informasi@walhi.or.id