Author: Tania Roa

Primates and Peatlands: Restoring Indonesian Ecosystems in the Face of Flooding

Meet Eka Cahyaningrum, restorer of peatlands and advocate for primates. Her work in Indonesia restores wild animal populations and their habitats while uplifting local communities. Her youth-led efforts demonstrate the power of coming together under one goal: to create better living conditions for all living beings, so that we can all thrive.

Eka Cahyaningrum, Primate Researcher and 2022 Global Landscapes Forum Restoration Steward

In higher education, my interest was in amphibians and reptiles, but before I graduated I got an internship to work with a primate researcher. I was going to the forest at 5am and arriving back home around 7pm. By staying the whole day in the forest following primates and observing their daily life, I couldn’t help but fall in love! I saw how each of them had their own personality and the resemblance of human behavior in their hierarchical societies. The first time I worked with macaques, then with orangutans, later with gibbons and langurs, and currently I’m working with gibbons and orangutans again.

My work expanded to peat ecosystems when I was working with gibbons and langurs in Central Borneo in 2017. I was observing them in the peat swamp forest, following their daily life and joining the conservation team to do restoration projects in an ex-burned area. Later on, in the dry season of 2019, I joined fire fighting as a way to see how I can contribute more to environmental movements. Since then, I started to learn more about this ecosystem and connect with peat researchers, and that’s when my interest in peatland restoration piqued. In 2021 I started my own restoration project with my friends and one year later I received the support of Global Landscapes Forum. Now I combine my passions for primates and peatlands, while acknowledging that none of these projects can be successful without the help of the local community.

Photo by Borneo Nature Foundation

Restoration is more than planting trees, but also about the community surrounding the peatland. To make sure the goal of restoration is achieved, we have to involve the community, raise their awareness and find the connection between nature and what they need. For example, we can emphasize the economic benefit of the peatlands and how they provide a reliable source of fish when they’re functioning ecosystems. If the community is prosperous, and the prosperity is caused by the sustainable management of the peatland ecosystem around them, then it will be a part of their culture to take care of the peat ecosystem. 

For the ecosystem itself, since the majority of the degraded peatlands have damaged hydrological functions, the first thing we have to do is to restore the hydrological cycle by restoring the bed of water and the surrounding vegetation. Through these methods, the peat will regenerate, but it will take a really long time to fully recover.

Tropical forest and peatlands provide important ecological, climate and socio-economic benefits. Peatlands also deliver numerous important ecosystem services to local people, including maintaining air and water quality, providing timber and non-timber resources, and supporting fish populations for local consumption. As wetland ecosystems, peatlands prevent flood and drought, the biomass is useful as a carbon sink, and they provide habitat for a variety of plants and animals. This is all to say that peatlands are important for biodiversity, they provide a source of life for the people in the area, and they’re resilient in the face of rising climate-related disasters.

Photo by Global Landscapes Forum

Our organization Hirai aims to raise awareness about environmental degradation, and the need for solutions that support local communities In Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

With our different backgrounds and expertise we can tackle the problem with different approaches and can see it from different perspectives, so it is actually a very beneficial formation. We can tackle the problem through education, a business perspective, and from a scientific point of view.

For example, to understand more about the biophysical benefits of peat and to carry out research on how to restore peatlands, we can use a scientific approach. To increase awareness, we educate through social media and offline. And to support the communal livelihood dependent on fishing, we can find a suitable business model that incorporates restoration, such as through ecotourism or product development.

Tania Roa, Digital Communications and Outreach Manager for Bio4Climate

Eka Cahyaningrum’s story is one of love, dedication, and curiosity. Her love for other species led to her love for the habitats they call home, and that led to her love for the human communities that also call the peatlands home. It’s also a story of connection. Only by spending time in the forest, away from a cell phone signal and the convenience of the city, could Eka truly understand the threats gibbons and orangutans face. She was willing to step into their world, if only for a moment, and that makes all the difference for both people and primates. Finally, this is a story of youth leadership. Eka and her friends were unwilling to leave their futures and the rest of Indonesia’s in the hands of authorities. As the peatlands’ water levels dropped and the endemic fish in the rivers began to disappear, they didn’t hesitate or wait until someone else stepped in. They took it upon themselves to take action, not knowing where it would take them. Without the guarantee of success or financial support, this was a courageous choice founded upon their dedication to a greener and bluer archipelago. 

These grassroots efforts are making a difference for Indonesia’s forests, biodiversity, wetlands, and citizens. When water cycles are nurtured, the abundance of seafood returns and people benefit. When forests are advocated for, storm buffers and healthy soils that support regenerative agricultural practices become widespread, and the community is better for it. Because of people like Eka, we can see the tangible results of localized, village-led restoration efforts. 

We don’t have to be in Indonesia to support on-the-ground efforts like these. As Eka says, “collaborations are always welcome to spread our message and raise awareness on the importance of peat ecosystems.” As a small nonprofit, Hirai can use all the international support it can get. As global citizens, we can support one another’s restorative work regardless of where we’re based. When we work together, we accomplish so much more, and at a much faster pace. Peatlands sequester carbon and build biodiversity that then reverberates across the planet, so join me in supporting Eka’s efforts today. 

Follow Eka’s journey through Global Landscapes Forum and follow Hirai on social media! And share Eka’s story to inspire others to preserve the Earth’s wetlands:

By Tania Roa and Eka Cahyaningrum

Our Underrated Climate Ally: The Small Water Cycle

Cabezon Peak after rain, Photo by John Fowler (CC BY 2.0)

Although climate change is a global issue, it can and must be addressed locally. Our overall climate is shifting drastically, but local climates are also changing, and they don’t always get the same amount of attention. Local climates change when the environment is drastically altered. This happens when the soils are depleted or covered with pavement, or when local water sources are drained and exported to rivers and eventually oceans. To restore local climates, we can start by restoring local natural cycles, and the first cycle we can look to is water.

Not One Cycle, But Many

You might have heard of ‘the water cycle,’ but there are actually many water cycles. They are in action at all times. Long water cycles draw their moisture primarily from the ocean, while short water cycles – also known as small water cycles – recirculate moisture on land. These cycles release water into the atmosphere through plant water vapor. Once the water reaches the skies, it forms clouds, and the cycle continues as clouds return the water to the land via rain. Evapotranspiration and precipitation are two processes in water cycles that ensure water stays in the respective region long-term.

Without water and its many cycles, our Earth would be hot, far too hot for us to live. The energy from the sun has to go somewhere. It is, after all, aimed directly at the planet. When plants and water are involved, the sun’s energy goes into plants to create life. Without plants or water, that energy gets absorbed by the land and creates ground too hot to walk on, let alone live on. The presence of water and the cycling of it controls local climates. It also provides moisture to plants and forms the clouds that moderate the Earth’s temperatures. The saying “water is life” could not be more accurate.

Where Did the Water Go?

If you live in a region with constant drought, you might be wondering what happened to the local water cycles, as precipitation has become more infrequent and unpredictable. Unfortunately, this scenario is becoming more and more common. As we continue to develop, paving over soils that absorb water with concrete and asphalt, we are increasing the surface area of impenetrable surfaces. Depleted soils also don’t absorb water, and when water doesn’t go underground, water cycles get disrupted – making it more difficult for all living beings to survive. The water that fails to be absorbed runs off the land (hence, the term runoff) and flows into storm drainages. Rather than keeping water local, we’re sending fresh, life-giving water to faraway rivers and oceans. For water to contribute to the local climate, it must stay in the area, meaning we need permeable ground and healthy soil.

Poor land and water management has led to an alarming loss of topsoil and decline in soil health. Industrial farming systems rely on chemicals and heavy machinery detrimental to life in the soil. Yet we need those microorganisms in the soil to build good aggregation (pore spaces) and symbiotic relationships with plants that form the basis of a functioning small water cycle. When we disrupt local water cycles and water runs off rather than evenly spreading over the land and infiltrating, we create conditions that lead to droughts, floods, heat waves, intense storms, and sea level rise.

Graphic by NM Healthy Soil Working Group

How can we restore local water cycles?

The good news is that we can restore the small water cycle by re-building the porous structure of the soil sponge – a term coined by Australian soil microbiologist Walter Jehne. Following nature’s strategy and applying the soil health principles, combined with slowing and capturing rainfall through earthworks (e.g. swales and small check dams), allows the soil to regenerate. Water gets absorbed instead of running off, some of it providing moisture for plants near the surface, and some percolating deeper underground to recharge aquifers that create water sources for all living beings.

How plants create rain: Somewhat akin to us breathing in and out, plants move water from the roots through trunks, branches, and stems, and ultimately out via the stomata (tiny pores) in leaves. Through this process, plants move nutrients to where they are needed –either nutrients from the soil or the sugars and carbohydrates photosynthesized by leaves. The water transpired by the plants becomes a key source for the formation of clouds and rain.

Therefore, to create rain in arid environments, we need more plants. Keeping all possible surfaces covered with living plants and reducing paved areas and bare ground will go a long way to restoring the small water cycle and, in return, restoring life itself. It will also maintain cooler surface temperatures and reduce the reradiation of long wave infrared heat from the Earth’s surface, which is the primary factor that drives the natural, and now exaggerated, greenhouse effect. As Walter Jehne says: “On a larger scale these same processes all play their role in helping to regulate the global climate through both the carbon and water cycles. This means that as we work to restore our regional water cycles, we may well change the global climate.”

Graphic by Walter Jehne

Written by Tania Roa, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate and Isabelle Jenniches, NM Healthy Soil Working Group

Sources: 

https://bio4climate.org/voices-of-water/

https://bio4climate.org/2019/04/30/evapotranspiration-a-driving-force-in-landscape-sustainability/

https://www.nmhealthysoil.org/2019/09/07/principles/ https://www.landandleadership.org/cool-moist-and-green.html

https://www.landandleadership.org/cool-moist-and-green.html

Kachana Station: A Home for Donkey-Led Restoration

In northwestern Australia, far from roads or major cities, a herd of wild donkeys carries a valuable promise. This remote region is the Kimberley, home to Kachana Station, a family-owned holistically managed landscape. The Henggelers have overseen Kachana Station for decades, and their management techniques have brought benefits for the soil, wildlife, and local climate. 

The Kimberley is notorious for bushfires. These scorching, widespread fires are now year-round threats—a scenario that’s becoming more common across Australia. Frequent fires make it hard for land to recover, leaving hardened, impenetrable dirt that repels moisture. Plants, animals, and the ground itself grow thirstier by the day, and wildlife struggles to survive. Yet, in what seems like a desolate, barren land, a curious, long-eared, often-misunderstood animal brings an unexpected source of hope.

Wild donkeys are transforming the landscape one hoof and nibble at a time. During searches for water, donkeys dig wells, surpassing the impenetrable dirt barrier and mixing nutrients underground. This process rehydrates the land, providing moisture for other species including beloved marsupials like the quoll, bilby, and rock wallaby; in the Kimberley, revitalization of soil creates a welcome oasis in an otherwise parched environment. The rehabilitation of soil means rainfall can become absorbed once again. With rain feeding the local area, fire frequency and intensity diminish, the temperature decreases, and life returns.

Once rain gets stored underground, the water in the soil goes through evapotranspiration, a process consisting of plants drawing water from the soil and releasing it into the atmosphere through vapor. The more water accessible for plant roots, the more water released into the air and absorbed by clouds. When wild donkeys dig and cycle nutrients, they are partaking in this process, therefore helping the ecosystem maintain the local water cycle. Donkeys also graze on vegetation that would otherwise dry out and become fire fuel. Reducing fuel loads and helping create moisture are the two main ways wild donkeys assist with land and fire management. As demonstrated by Kachana Station’s donkeys, biodiversity is the foundation for the revival of Earth’s ecosystems. 

Respecting natural processes allows nature to heal herself, as she’s been doing for millennia. When nature heals, we heal. As more people suffer the effects of heat waves and water shortages, Kachana Station’s work demonstrates the promise of ecological restoration. What is scarce today can one day be abundant. What is lacking today can one day be overflowing. The determining factor is us: humans and the collective decisions we make.  

Chris Henggeler from Kachana Station is interviewed by Tania Roa

Climate change and biodiversity loss are in large part consequences of our land management methods, but the trajectory we’re on doesn’t have to be our destiny. Soil, plants, and animals will return when given an opportunity. It’s our job to grant that chance by allocating natural resources to their rightful places. When we foster interactions between wildlife and Earth’s elements, we promote nature’s self-sustainability.

Learn more about the interactions between humans, animals, and plants:

To support Kachana Station’s research on the role non-native wild donkeys have in the Kimberley, Bio4Climate created a campaign to raise public awareness. We developed a petition, interviewed wildlife conservationist Dr. Arian Wallach, and interviewed Chris Henggeler to share the story of Kachana Station. Despite the evidence of the many benefits donkeys provide to other species and the local ecosystem, the Western Australian government is demanding that the Henggeler family kill the donkeys in their care or risk facing major fines. If this kill order goes into effect, Kachana Station’s restoration efforts will be set back, with lost opportunities for key insights on herbivores and fire management. Join our campaign by signing our petition and sharing this blog with your friends and family. Every signature counts. As Chris says, we’re all in this together.

Thanks to supporters like you, we at Bio4Climate have made a difference in Australia, and the people on the ground in Australia, including Dr. Arian Wallach and Chris, Bob, and Jacqueline Henggeler, have made a difference in the United States. Despite the distance between these two countries, we all have plenty in common. We are all facing urgent, life-threatening global challenges. More importantly, we all have the ability to take action. No matter where we live or where we come from, everyone can contribute to our planet’s restoration, and that is the ultimate source of hope.

To learn more about the land restoration work being done at Kachana Station, watch their video on “How to Heal Country.”

Written by Tania Roa

Climate Justice: For People and Planet

Climate change is already here. Severe weather-related events such as more frequent hurricanes, intense droughts, longer wildfire seasons, and devastating floods are evidence of this statement. 

However, not all people are experiencing the consequences of the climate crisis equally. All too often, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) are on the frontlines. Due to systemic injustices, these communities usually lack essential resources to prepare or respond to climate-related events, and outside help is not guaranteed.

BIPOC communities are said to experience climate change “first and worst,” making this global emergency an environmental and social justice issue. The destruction of natural resources devastates local communities as the resources they rely on for survival become ashes. The violence imposed on our planet is so intertwined with violence towards people- so much so that addressing one without recognizing the other would be a grave mistake. 

Even though BIPOC have experienced enormous injustices, they have not remained victims of their circumstances. For decades, these groups have spoken up for their health and the health of the planet. They continue to demonstrate the importance of seeing ourselves as part of nature, not apart from it. However, communities of color cannot mitigate the effects of climate change by themselves. The movement to rebuild a world that respects our planet is one we all can, and must, join. And when we amplify their voices, we help them create urgent, everlasting change. 

B- Black Americans

Polluting industries, including oil and gas, are more likely to establish facilities near Black neighborhoods because of their lack of political power. Living near toxic chemicals leads to a myriad of health problems such as asthma and cancer. These disparities are a matter of public health. During COVID-19, respiratory conditions put Black Americans at a higher risk for experiencing fatal symptoms, and their lack of quality health care only exacerbated the problem.

Nonetheless, amidst overwhelming heartbreak, Black communities continue to stand up for their rights to a clean environment. The father of environmental justice, Dr. Robert Bullard, is only one example of the many activists who have transformed the environmental movement.

I- Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous communities practice centuries-old traditions that honor nature. Their livelihoods intertwine with the land, water, and other species. Climate change poses a threat to their lifestyles as natural systems become disrupted, extinction rates increase, and landscapes drastically change.

Thankfully, Indigenous wisdom holds the answers to restoring Earth’s ecosystems. When granted protections and sovereignty, they can effectively manage their lands using their sacred methods. By collaborating with Native peoples, we can all be on the path towards global restoration. When we all work together, we develop win-win situations.

POC- People of Color

Other historically marginalized communities, including Latinx immigrants in the United States, live in low tree canopy areas. Urban trees provide a natural cooling system, filter air pollutants, and create wildlife habitat- altogether beautifying the city.9 Nature should be accessible to everyone, not only to the wealthy or privileged. Withholding the benefits trees, clean water, and clean air provide to low-income communities denies them the right to a healthy environment. 

People of Color have championed the environmental justice movement since the beginning. The unfair circumstances forced upon them have become a breeding ground for invaluable insight.

To address gaping inequalities that will only grow bigger if unaddressed, we need climate justice. Climate justice is the recognition of the immorality interconnected with climate change. The climate crisis, racial injustices, gender inequality, wage gaps, and more are all connected. Acknowledging the intersectionality of the epidemics of our time leads to powerful collaborations. Through this holistic lens, we can work together to build solutions that work for everyone. When we address one of these issues, we address all of them.

To confront the climate crisis, we must first remember its root cause: human activities; more specifically, wasteful activities carried out by privileged groups. Excessive drilling for fossil fuels and the addictive culture of overconsumption combined to form narrow-minded systems. While a few people continue to benefit from these systems, the well-being of most people, other species, and the planet stay threatened. 

Now that more governmental bodies are developing policies related to climate change, our job is to ensure that every community has a role in the decision-making process. When rebuilding our world, we cannot utilize the same mindset that led to the climate crisis in the first place. Either we move forward together, or we all remain standing still- under this pile of pollution.

The choice is ours. What we do today determines the future we will experience tomorrow. Without racial or social justice, there is no climate justice.

By Tania Roa

This article was originally published in The Climate Issue, Issue 5. The original version can be found here.

Featured photo by Capital Media