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reserving the environment should not be regarded as the monopoly of international environmentalists or scientists, as for centuries the indigenous people of Nusantara (archipelagic Indonesia) through their local wisdom have been able to perform such vital tasks.

The call for indigenous involvement in preserving the environment is in line with a recent publication by the Environment and Forestry Ministry — “Report on the State of Indonesia’s Forests, 2018” — which specifically emphasizes the government’s efforts to involve native communities in forest management through the setting aside of “social forests”, including adat (customary) forests. Such calls for greater involvement by local people, particularly by indigenous communities, have been made by the ministry following the country’s success in reducing deforestation to 480,000 hectares per year in 2017 from 1.09 million ha per year in 2015.

One case of indigenous people’s involvement in environmental preservation is the Marena Kulawi indigenous community, which inhabits a small village (also named Marena) in the Central Sulawesi regency of Sigi, one of the most densely forested areas in Sulawesi and which has long been prized for its biodiversity.

As the Special Report in today’s paper reveals, the forest in Marena has been protected under the customary law of the Marena Kulawi indigenous community. Their customary code, called ombo, is strictly upheld to maintain Mother Nature’s ecological balance. Ombo prescribes what plants can be harvested, when and for what. Customary leaders decide when members of the community can harvest rattan and herbs — the forest’s main products.

The code regulates that products may be reaped primarily for domestic consumption. Meanwhile, harvesting the forest for commercial purposes is prohibited without prior permission from the customary council, which will then charge fees for commercial use of forest products, on behalf of the Marena community. Any violations of the code will result in hefty fines.

These rules are meant to be strictly enforced. And the community has law enforcers called “protectors of the village”, who regularly patrol the forest and impose sanctions for any wrongdoings that could damage the ecosystem.

The Marena customary community is a good example of how nature can be preserved only on conditions that the law (i.e. customary law) is truly upheld. The Central Sulawesi indigenous community has essentially taught us — the rest of modern civilization in the archipelago of Indonesia — that law enforcement is key to sustainable environmental preservation in the country.