Author: Communication Team and KAoem MUda
Dozens of Indigenous youth and local community members from various regions across Maluku ventured directly into the forests of Saunulu Village on Seram Island. They were not there for an adventure, but with a vital mission: to learn how to become the frontline guardians and monitors of the forest.
Organized by Kaoem Telapak from June 1–6, 2026, the Forest Monitoring Training provided a collaborative learning space. As threats to Maluku’s natural resources continue to grow, the program aimed to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to safeguard their forests and Indigenous territories.
The training went beyond technical skills. It was designed to empower the youth to actively protect their forests through documentation, monitoring, and data-driven advocacy. Participants learned about forest governance, Indigenous rights, research and verification techniques, and how to use accessible technology for field documentation.
They were also introduced to community-based monitoring methods, particularly the Ground-truthed Indonesia (GTID) platform. This tool allows communities to document field conditions, track changes in forest cover, and report potential violations in their territories. Unlike conventional reporting, GTID ensures that field evidence is instantly and digitally verified. Combining web and Android technology, the platform is open and accessible to the public.
The Deforestation Emergency in Maluku
This initiative comes at a critical time for Maluku’s ecology, as its forests and Indigenous lands face unprecedented threats. Covering approximately 3.9 million hectares—about 81 percent of the region’s total landmass—Maluku’s forests are a vital stronghold for biodiversity and the primary source of livelihood for local and Indigenous communities.
However, these forests are facing severe threats. Between 2001 and 2024, Maluku lost roughly 260,000 hectares of tree cover. This massive loss is driven by the expansion of forestry concessions, mining, plantations, illegal logging, and infrastructure development—all of which threaten the living spaces of local communities.
In areas like Seram, Buru, the Aru Islands, and the Tanimbar Islands, Indigenous peoples constantly battle overlapping land permits, environmental degradation from extractive industries, and direct threats to their water sources, sacred sites, and livelihoods. This alarming reality makes youth involvement in community-led environmental protection more urgent than ever.
Voices and Hopes from the Frontlines
One of the training participants, Johanis, known as Anes, shared that the training had a meaningful impact on him. He believes that monitoring and documenting the forest is now an absolute necessity for Maluku’s Indigenous youth.
“I am very grateful for the forest monitoring training conducted on Seram Island, specifically in Negeri Saunulu. What I gained during this training process is highly valuable for increasing Indigenous youth participation in protecting the environment and our living spaces, especially for us in Maluku,” he stated.
For Anes, the training did more than teach technical skills; it sparked a realization that environmental protection requires the active involvement of the youth. He hopes these new skills will be put into practice within their communities, and that more Indigenous youth across Indonesia will get similar opportunities to build their capacity in forest defense.
“We hope there will be follow-up actions to what we have learned here so that the benefits can be directly felt by Indigenous communities, especially vulnerable groups who are often hit hardest by unjust policies. We also hope more Indigenous youth will get the chance to join programs like this,” Anes added.
Angelin, a young Indigenous woman from West Seram Regency, shared a similar sentiment. For her, the training was a vital opportunity to deepen her understanding of environmental advocacy and the protection of Indigenous territories.
“As a young person from Seram Island, I feel called to learn more about environmental advocacy and forest monitoring. We learned so much—from better documentation techniques to utilizing various applications that can support our monitoring and advocacy work,” she said.
The training also showed Angelin that the environmental struggles in Maluku are part of a much larger picture. Across Indonesia, countless communities are fighting to defend their forests and customary lands from exploitation and land grabs.
“At first, there was so much I didn’t know. But now, after participating in this training, I realized that we in Seram and Maluku are not alone in this fight. There is an entire movement of young people stepping up and supporting each other to protect the forests and speak out against environmental issues, including illegal logging,” she explained.
As the event wrapped up, Angelin called on the youth of Maluku to take a stronger interest in the environmental and forestry conditions in their regions. She believes that Maluku’s forests and islands urgently need the younger generation to ensure their preservation for the future.
“We need to realize that our forests are not doing well. Our islands are calling us, the youth, to care and take action. If we don’t protect nature, who will? Let’s build networks and work together to monitor, protect, and advocate for the environmental issues happening in Maluku, especially in remote areas,” she urged.
She concluded her message with a profound yet simple phrase in the local Maluku dialect, reflecting the deep, inseparable bond between Indigenous peoples and their land:
“Mari katong jaga katong pung mama, katong pung tanah. Nusa Ina ini katong mama. Jangan sampai katong biking mama menangis.” (Let us protect our mother, our land. Nusa Ina is our mother. Let us not make our mother cry.)
The steps taken by these young people in Negeri Saunulu offer a massive beacon of hope for the “lungs of the world” in Eastern Indonesia. Armed with data, technology, and a strong network, they return home not just as training participants, but as the new guardians of ‘Nusa Ina’. Just as they promised: let’s protect our mother, and never bring her to tears.
