Resource Management is a pressing topic all over the world. However, for the population of Indonesia it might be even more pressing than it is for others. Population growth, and the increasing rates of consumption and resource use, along with Indonesia’s vulnerable location on the Ring of Fire, makes resource management an urgent topic for both Indonesia’s development and protection. However, the extraction of resources has contrarily brought economic benefits to the country ever since the 1960s, which creates inherent contradicting motives for the management of Indonesia’s resources. Moreover, Indonesia’s hierarchal politics and social structures have repeatedly complicated the implementation of resource management initiatives.
As a result, natural resource management in Indonesia is still far from receiving its required attention. Today, Indonesia grapples with high rates of marine and terrestrial ecosystem degradation; Indonesia’s deforestation rates are among the highest in the world; and the domestic energy demands, which are primarily met by fossil fuel consumption, are increasing exponentially.
Being an advocate of sustainable solutions, RACI aims to both create awareness on, and contribute to the community-based development of sustainable resource management in Indonesia. Collaborating on a Coral Reef Conservation and Restoration Project in Flores, interns are able to educate the local community of Waimana II on coral reef protection, with successful outcomes! The commitment of RACI’s interns has motivated the local community to enthusiastically initiate the creation of a conservation area to protect their marine environment. The children of the village are also engaged. By drawing posters that prevent the use of coral destructing anchors, the children are able to not only learn about, but also participate in the resource management and protection of their own natural environment.
