Berau Regency and YKAN Strengthen Collaboration for Sustainable Development

Berau Regency Government has officially extended its strategic partnership with Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) for the 2025–2030 period. This collaboration aims to enhance sustainable natural resource management, implement low-carbon development plans, and support climate change adaptation.

At the signing ceremony in Tanjung Redeb on 13 October 2025, Berau Regent Sri Juniarsih emphasized the importance of aligning environmental conservation with human resource development. She noted that Berau possesses significant natural resources and highlighted the need for local capacity to ensure effective management. She stated the importance of ensuring that local communities play a central role in managing natural resources.

The five-year extension of the partnership will cover various aspects, including strengthening local policies, managing forests and coastal areas, protecting biodiversity, and empowering local communities, including indigenous and vulnerable groups. The SIGAP Program, known as Aksi Inspiratif  Warga untuk PerubahanInspirational (Community Inspiring Actions for Change), will continue to be a vital resource in empowering villages to independently and sustainably manage their local potential.

According to the Regent, some local economic potentials that need further development include dried shrimp (ebi), shrimp paste (terasi), and chocolate. She hopes these products will be recognized and reach not only the national market but also international markets. “I want these products to be known as Berau products. Therefore, we must process and package them ourselves to penetrate national and even international markets,” she explained.

Over Two Decades of Partnership

Berau Regency holds exceptionally high biodiversity on both land and sea. Approximately 75% of Berau’s land area remains natural forest, making it one of the last strongholds of tropical natural forest ecosystems in Kalimantan. In the marine sector, Berau lies within the Coral Triangle and is the heart of the Sulu-Sulawesi seascape, holding the world’s second-highest marine biodiversity.

Berau Regency Government has partnered with YKAN for more than two decades. Since 2002, YKAN—formerly operating under The Nature Conservancy (TNC)—has actively supported various strategic government programs, particularly in biodiversity conservation, sustainable natural resource management, and community empowerment.

YKAN Executive Director Herlina Hartanto detailed several achievements from the past five years of collaboration in Berau. 77 villages and two urban wards have received World Bank funding of IDR 349,100,000 each through the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility-Carbon Fund (FCPF-CF) program. 15 community or forest groups have received additional funding ranging from IDR 50 million to IDR 70 million. The program's objective is clear: to drive down emissions at the local level.

In her remarks, Herlina commended Berau’s efforts to give communities a direct role in managing their natural resources, particularly through support for obtaining forest management rights. Social Forestry has granted management rights to 31 community groups, covering 106,000 hectares.

“This area far exceeds that of other regencies in East Kalimantan. Berau has even been recognized as the best regency in supporting Social Forestry programs at the national level, during the 2025 National Social Forestry Festival (PeSoNa),” said Herlina.

On the community economic development side, through the SIGAP Academy, community groups are guided to produce high-quality processed products from sustainable commodities. Herlina mentioned several products now available in the market, including chocolate bars, amplang (fish crackers), shrimp paste, dried fish, dried shrimp, as well as rattan crafts and mangrove batik.

In the marine sector, the Regional Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) responsible for managing the Derawan Islands and Surrounding Waters Conservation Area (KKP3K-KDPS) has been successfully established. To ensure sustainable management funding, YKAN is encouraging the UPTD KKP3K-KDPS to implement the Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD) system.

In recent years, YKAN has developed a 200-hectare hydrological mangrove restoration and sustainable aquaculture model using the Shrimp-Carbon Aquaculture (SECURE) method. This model aims to restore degraded mangrove land that has been affected by aquaculture ponds. YKAN has undoubtedly strengthened community and women's economic groups by developing livelihoods such as ecotourism and fisheries.

Looking ahead, Herlina emphasized that all these joint achievements require strong governance and a solid legal foundation. With a solid legal basis, the benefits of these accomplishments can be maintained and sustained. “We are proud to continue supporting Berau Regency in achieving sustainable development. This collaboration goes beyond conservation; it’s about creating a more prosperous future for the people of Berau. Therefore, a legal foundation is crucial to ensure the sustainability of our shared achievements,” Herlina concluded.