News

Deforestation, commodity production, and water scarcity are closely linked. In the dry forests of Chiquitania, Bolivia, for instance, cattle ranching is contributing to the water crisis, affecting local communities and threatening ecosystems.  

For nearly 30 years, IUCN NL has supported civil society organisations (CSOs) through Dutch funding for Development cooperation, fostering long-term partnerships that have strengthened community-led nature conservation and more sustainable and inclusive governance of tropical forests. With Dutch Official Development Assistance (ODA) now facing steep cuts and political uncertainty, Indonesian partners reflect on the value of these alliances, the knowledge they've gained through collaboration, and their determination to continue the work, regardless of shifting donor landscapes. 

In the lush mountains of Palawan, Philippines, where trees whisper stories from the ancient past, where rivers carry the island’s history of extraction in its veins, and where the land holds memories of indigenous protection, a gathering unlike any other transpired. From May 5 to 9, 2025, over 35 Indigenous delegates from across Colombia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines came together for a South-South learning exchange co-organized by Gaia Amazonas and NTFP-EP (Non-Timber Forest Products-Exchange Programme), under the Green Livelihoods Alliance (GLA) partnership.

With the theme Roots of Change: Indigenous and Local Youth Leading Resilient and Inclusive Forest Landscapes, YEEHA! 2025 focused on practical, hands-on sessions exploring inclusive forest governance, sustainable landscapes, and youth-led strategies for the crises our planet face today. The program emphasized capacity-building in mapping, research, documentation, and the transmission of Indigenous Knowledge, Systems, and Practices (IKSPs) to generations to come. More than just training, the camp fostered deep reflection, creativity, and solidarity; grounded in the realities of the participants’ own communities and territories.

After nearly three years, NTFP-EP is bringing back Voices from the Forest with a fresh edition-not just as a newsletter, but as a platform to amplify stories from the ground up. More than updates, Voices from the Forest now brings you firsthand narratives of the resilience, innovations, and enduring efforts of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPs&LCs) across the NTFP-EP network.

A disastrous flood that submerged newly planted rice fields and several public facilities shook the collective consciousness of the Simancuang community in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The community made the difficult decision to report the illegal loggers that caused the flood to the authorities. And for the first time, a community report was followed up by a judicial process. Yudi Fernandes, member of the KKI Warsi team working with the community, reports.

Effective forest conservation requires a safe operational space for (women) environmental defenders and civil society organisations (CSOs). However, partners and communities in IUCN NL’s Forests for a Just Future programme face substantial challenges in their civic freedoms, as was revealed by a 2023 survey. In order to address urgent cases of repression, intimidation or safety and security concerns, IUCN NL has set money aside for a so-called emergency fund. Over the past four years, we have provided emergency funds to 33 organisations  and individuals for legal support and safety and security measures to environmental defenders and for urgent natural disaster relief.  

The global demand for rattan is causing major damage to the forests of Indonesia, where rattan grows exclusively in the wild. This unsustainable exploitation is causing the rattan to disappear in some areas, putting even more pressure on the underpaid farmers. In Central Sulawesi, farmers are demonstrating that rattan harvesting can be done differently.