A Story from Mawas Flood is a Blessing in Disguise

Few people know that BOSF programs do not only consist of Samboja Lestari and Nyaru Menteng whose activities are rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing orangutans back in the wild, as well as RHOI that restores and manages a forest for those rehabilitated orangutans. One program is seldom exposed, yet it is very important. The Mawas Program. Also located in Central Kalimantan, Mawas is a conservation program for wild orangutans and their habitat.

Covering a total area of 309,000 Ha in Central Kalimantan, Mawas is a very thick — more than 3 meters deep in several spots — peat-layered forest area with wild orangutan population of around 3,000. Therefore, according to government regulations, the area is classified as a protected area. The program's primary goal is showcasing to the world that by protecting and conserving a diverse ecosystem, which contains a high-level of carbon, as well as protecting a key species, which is orangutan, we can reduce emission level of greenhouse gases; hence slowing down climate change.

Activities in Mawas include working closely with local communities to develop eco-friendly alternative livelihood, research, providing opportunities for staff of the local government to obtain scholarships, and encouraging and helping the private sector around the area to implement Best Management Practices (BMP).

The following short story will give you a chance to take a little peek into Mawas' community development activity. Read on!

It was a clear and bright day in June at Batampang, a village on Barito riverbank. Batampang is surrounded by rivers and local communities built their homes on floating platforms to anticipate flood. Although flood does come many times to this village, in Batampang flood can be a blessing in disguise.

Nicole, my Danish friend, asked me, "What do you mean flood is a blessing in disguise? Don't you think it's a disaster?"

As a staff for Mawas Program, I answered," It is a blessing in disguise because during and after the flood they will get a lot of fish."

"And, if they get a lot of fish, what will they do with that? Sell it, eat it for themselves, or…?" demanded Nicole.

"They will sell the fish to the buyers who come to the village. The price is relatively cheap, but they must sell and make profit from it right away otherwise the fish will rot and is no longer edible. But some women in this village are smarter. They process the fish, particularly the lais (a type of catfish), and turn it into dried salted product. According to them, the process is quick and profit from dried fish is good."

Nicole had an idea, "Then we should help them sell the dried fish!"

"That's a great idea! Women from this village can help their husbands increase their household income with the profit of those dried fish products," I agreed with her.

BOSF Mawas Conservation Program now collaborates with DANIDA, a program funded by the Danish Government,  to give training to Batampang Community on how to package and sell their dried fish products.

The goal of this program is to build capacity of the local community, to not only process one type of fish but also many other kinds of fish. Also, this program strives to motivate the local community to improve their economy by taking on eco-friendly alternative livelihood so they don't cut the tree in the forest anymore.

The Batampang Community has proven it can be done. Keep up the good work!