In September 2021, ABA ROLI kicked-off the implementation of the three-year regional program, Right to Resilience: Community-Led Advocacy for Human Rights, Political Participation, and Good Governance in Island Communities Impacted by Climate Change (R2R Program), supported by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The program’s primary goal is to build the capacity of communities in island nations, including the Philippines and Indonesia, to participate in political and decisionmaking processes, and to encourage the governments to take action to mitigate the impact of climate change on human rights.
The R2R program trains journalists on reporting on the impact of climate change on human rights, leading to the publication of participating journalists in major news outlets, including Gresi Plasmanto, Journalist at Liputan6. The workshops helped journalists overcome a wide-range of challenges by advancing public understanding of the serious state of the environment and climate crises; fostered knowledge-sharing and networking among participating journalists; and strengthened reporting on climate change and human rights, including supporting journalist safety.
On Friday, February 17, 2023, Viva.co.id published the following article by Andri Mardiansyah, Journalist and Padang Correspondence of viva.co.id. Originally in Bahasa Indonesia, the article was translated by Muhammad Reza Zaini and Shinta Permata Sari, American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative.
"Landslides buried our rice fields and we can no longer work on it. until they couldn't be cultivated anymore. The river water, which used to be clear and we could drink straight away, is now mixed with sand. Natural disasters are really destructive,” said Rano, remembering the disastrous landslides and flash floods that ravaged that land where he lived four years ago.
Rano is a resident of Maua Hilia, Kayu Pasak Timur Village, Salareh Aia Town, Palembayan District, Agam Regency, West Sumatra Province. In 2018, his village was hit with flash floods and landslides, subsequently causing a loss of agricultural land. As a result, Rano lost an estimated 20 million Rupiahs.
‘It was not the nature’s fault’ was the key message of Rano’s story on the illegal logging activities that happened in his area. The wood in the protected forest is cut down by irresponsible groups. They were all laughing, counting their money, while at the same time the villagers were crying, counting the loss and disastrous days they had to face.
"Disasters came and threatened the protected species. One of the triggering factors of the flash floods and landslides is illegal logging,” he stated resoundingly.
The Maua Hilia area, which was once fertile land with lush vegetation, is now steadily decreasing due to deforestation, Rano said. In fact, there are villages, like the Pili village, that have been eroded by river water, caused by illegal logging on the banks of the river. There were also residents' houses that were almost destroyed because the soil was eroded by the river flow.
Rano had a field in the surrounding area of the protected forest. His field planted with Areca palm and durian was damaged due to the implications of the illegal logging. Although these illegal logging activities were carried out a long time ago, the impacts are still felt by the locals to this day.
"The village was located right next to the protected forest. Our fields were damaged due to the falling timbers. I have been gardening in my in-laws’ field since 2009," he said.
He admitted that he also often witnessed illegal logging. The sound of boisterous wood-cutting machines could be heard in the jungle. This condition was witnessed by Rano in the Pasaman Timur forest area which borders Agam Regency.
"If the local people cut down the forest, it is still tolerated. This is not the case. The wood is taken out and sold," he said.