GLOBAL Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP)\nIndonesia will organise Festival Raksha Loka on 22\u201323 May 2026 at M-Bloc\nSpace, South Jakarta. Under the theme \u201cProtecting Nature, Protecting the\nFuture\u201d, the festival marks the conclusion of Operational Phase 7\n(2021\u20132026) and serves as a collaborative space to bring together local\ncommunities, the government, academics, the private sector, and the\nyouth to strengthen community-based environmental conservation\nefforts.<\/p>\n
Raksha Loka Festival comes amid rising threats from climate crisis,\nenvironmental degradation, and biodiversity loss. Through the festival,\nGEF SGP Indonesia aims to demonstrate that local communities play a\ncrucial role as frontline stewards of ecosystem sustainability while\nalso creating economic solutions that directly benefit residents.<\/p>\n
According to an official statement, GEF SGP Indonesia is a\nsmall-grants environmental programme supported by the Global Environment\nFacility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme\n(UNDP), and carried out nationally by Yayasan Bina Usaha Lingkungan\n(YBUL). The programme focuses on empowering grassroots communities and\ncivil society organisations in biodiversity conservation, climate\nchange, sustainable forest management, and the protection of coastal and\nmarine areas.<\/p>\n
GEF Focal Point Indonesia, Erik Teguh Primiantoro, said the programme\ngoes beyond conservation and also aims to spur a conservation-based\neconomy. He noted that the grant funds should trigger collaboration and\ninnovation, not merely provide short-term aid.<\/p>\n
\u201cTalking about the environment in romantic terms will not feed\npeople. Hence environmental management must create a new economy that\ngives people a sense of ownership and pride in protecting their own\nland,\u201d Erik observed. He cited various creative practices already\nundertaken by communities, such as mangrove educational tours along the\ncoast and coral transplantation linked to diving tourism in Bali.\nThrough such approaches, conservation activities no longer incur only\ncosts but also generate economic benefits for local communities while\nsupporting environmental restoration.<\/p>\n
National Coordinator of GEF SGP Indonesia, Sidi Rana Menggala, added\nthat the programme also includes a sustainability strategy through\ncontinued funding for communities deemed to have made progress. Among\nthem is the Bantuan Usaha Melalui Investasi (BUMI) scheme, which enables\ncommunity groups to obtain additional support to strengthen\nenvironmentally based ventures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe programme does not stop when the grant ends. We have a\nsustainability strategy so that community groups can move up a level and\ncontinue growing,\u201d Sidi stated.<\/p>\n
In the same note, YBUL Executive Director, Yani Witjaksono, said that\nmany assisted communities have proven that local natural resources can\nbe processed into higher-value products, from forest honey processing to\nseafood development and strengthening energy-based fisher cooperatives.\nThese concrete examples demonstrate how community empowerment can\nconnect with broader markets.<\/p>\n
According to Yani, the GEF SGP Indonesia\u2019s \u201cLocal Action, Global\nImpact\u201d approach emphasises that solutions to the global environmental\ncrisis can start with local actions that are relevant to the cultural\ncontext and needs of local communities.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Latipah Hendrarti, a Member of the GEF SGP Indonesia\nSteering Committee, regards youth involvement as crucial for\nenvironmental preservation through holistic education. In Festival\nRaksha Loka, students and young people will be invited to learn about\nfour landscapes supported by GEF SGP Indonesia through educational and\ninteractive activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung people need to see directly that they are part of the\necosystem. Therefore, environmental education must be integrated with\ndaily life and local community contexts,\u201d Latipah said.<\/p>\n
During Operational Phase 7, GEF SGP Indonesia has disbursed more than\nUSD 2.8 million in grants and involved over 80 active partners from\ncommunities, civil society organisations, and academia. The programme\noperates through a four-landscape approach: Bodri River Basin in Central\nJava, Balangtieng Basin in South Sulawesi, the Nantu area and Tahura in\nGorontalo, and Sabu Raijua Island in East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
Raksha Loka Festival will feature a community initiative expo, public\ndiscussions, cultural performances, and a multi-stakeholder\ncollaboration forum highlighting best practices of community-based\nenvironmental management from across Indonesia. (H-2)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/raksha-loka-elevates-community-action-to-protect-the-environment-engaging-the-youth-1779543018", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }