The Archipelago has 1,128 ethnic groups spread over 76,655 villages. Among the thousands of ethnic groups are adat communities that maintain traditions passed down from generation to generation, including managing living space in forests. They generally refer to their self-identity and living space using local terms such as Kasepuhan, Nagari, Gampong, Kampung, Marga, Ngata, Hoana, Ketemenggungan, and various local-specific terms. Thus, the mention of Adat communities essentially refers to a community entity.

After Indonesia’s independence in 1945, along with the modern nature of the state, which forms a government with the law as a reference for social relations, Adat communities needed state recognition. Although administratively, there are villages or sub-districts, Adat communities with specific characteristics based on tradition and culture need separate recognition to maintain local wisdom and knowledge.

These characteristics are partially embodied in the nature and history of indigenous peoples in Indonesia. Therefore, in international terms, the Indonesian government still uses “Adat community” or “Adat peoples” and “Adat forest” to maintain the uniqueness of indigenous peoples and customary/Adat forests in Indonesia compared to similar communities in other countries.

Since 2020, the current expansion of social forestry in Indonesia represents an unprecedented transfer of forest management responsibilities to local communities across the archipelago. The Indonesia government aims to formalize co management across 12.7 ha of forest area to enhance community well-being and environmental as well as economic outcomes.

Social forestry also broadly refers to the management of forests by local communities to achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation, food security, nutrition and livelihood support. Refers to the climate change mitigation and adaptation, Adat communities plays important role in order to implement the actions through their indigenous or local knowledge in preserving the forest.

Furthermore, there is emerging evidence of the important role of indigenous or local knowledge for climate change adaptation. Adapting to climate change presents a major societal challenge, made all the more difficult by the uncertainty of future impacts and issues surrounding climate justice. Knowledge systems and practices of Adat peoples are recognized as a ‘major resource’ for climate change adaptation.

In the talk show, Directorate General Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership would like to disseminate the existing and emerging activities on indigenous and local knowledge particularly in social forestry program with evidence concerning indigenous and local knowledge on climate change adaptation.