Rafid A. Shidqi (ELP 2022) | Climate Change Knowledge and Management Specialist, Asian Development Bank, Indonesia

Indonesia is located within the heart of the Coral Triangle Region—a region encompassing Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea that is considered the world’s marine biodiversity hotspot. This region hosts the highest reef species, fishes, and other types of habitats that provide food security, livelihoods, influential culture, and the potential to fight climate change. However, the Coral Triangle Region is also experiencing continuous pressures and biodiversity decline because of unsustainable practices, such as coastal development, population growth, pollution, and climate change.

Efforts have been ongoing with the support of various organizations, from local, regional, and international levels through the implementation of conservation projects, one of them being Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MPAs aim to safeguard high biodiversity areas through specific management measures such as limiting fishing pressures, combating destructive practices, and monitoring and enforcement. Currently, MPAs have become a common tool for conservation and preserving marine biodiversity. 

As a young person working in conservation, I have worked around some effective MPAs, such as in Raja Ampat, West Papua. From there, I witnessed the stakeholder collaboration to address issues within MPAs, particularly around shark and ray conservation. After working there for a few years, I moved to another eastern region in the Alor archipelago. From there, I was exposed to the reality of MPAs, which are often not ideal and very common in Indonesia or even the world. 

One thing I still feel is missing is how the participation within the management of MPAs is often led by male adults in their 40s or 50s. There is less involvement from the younger generation, particularly young women. I feel this striking because younger generations are the ones who will be taking future management, and with their exclusion, it still feels incomplete.

Indonesia hosts one of the most significant youth populations in the Asia-Pacific region. I still vividly remember during my college years, my professor said that this “demographic bonus” is a dual blade – which can either be an advantage or otherwise. In my opinion, many factors would determine that demographic advantage, such as whether or not the young people can take the influential leadership position and have an excellent platform to contribute and make the change. 

As a young person myself, especially when we first got into the conservation career, feelings such as being underestimated or viewed as less capable are prevalent—critical decision making thus often only given to people in a more senior position. There is also a growing perception that if young people participate in conservation, we could do “only” advocacy, such as campaigning, which is often perceived as “low impact.”

Through the work with my team in Alor, we see the reality is much more promising. When we engage young people, we see a vast potential for them to make a change in their communities. For example, in 2020, we initiated the Conservation Champion Program – an intensive capacity building for young indigenous people to identify, lead, and address marine conservation problems in their villages. The program was very inspiring, as it created a ripple of impact, not only with the leadership capacity of the “Champions,” as we call them but also to the community at large. These Champions have high political awareness and are self-driven, inspiring, and creative to take a new approach that many adults may not even consider. 

Suppose we can create an inclusive space and nurture meaningful leadership and participation of young people – not making them only “beneficiaries” of projects, but rather giving them a chance and resources to lead. In that case, they can achieve the outcomes of effective marine conservation in their villages. They are the ones who inherited the land they were born in and are thus the most significant driver for positive change in environmental protection.