Local Culture and Knowledge Strengthen Climate Adaptation in Wakatobi

Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), in collaboration with the local government, the Wakatobi National Park Authority (BTNW), indigenous communities, local groups, and educational institutions, organized two cultural events in Wakatobi Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, as part of community-based climate adaptation efforts. The activities included the Barata Kahedupa Medicinal Plant Festival on Kaledupa Island on 17 May 2026, and the Bahari Hekulu-Kulu Tomia performance on Tomia Island on 20 May 2026.

As an archipelagic region, Wakatobi faces high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, shifting seasonal patterns, coastal erosion, and rising sea temperatures, which affect coastal ecosystems and community livelihoods. These conditions also disrupt the availability of food and medicine, which often depend on supplies from outside the region.

Therefore, strengthening local food sources, traditional medicine use, and cultural values is considered essential for improving coastal community resilience. For generations, Wakatobi residents have possessed a wide range of local knowledge regarding food management, traditional healing, and sustainable living practices passed down through oral and practical traditions.

Both events highlighted local art and knowledge as tools for environmental education while enhancing the community’s socio-ecological resilience. The Barata Kahedupa Medicinal Plant Festival featured educational games, herbal workshops, exhibitions, and intergenerational discussions on traditional medicine. Meanwhile, the Bahari Hekulu-Kulu performance in Tomia focused on reviving cultural and ecological knowledge through traditional dances, creative workshops, and environmental education for students.

La Ode Ahyar Thamrin Mufti, Head of the Wakatobi National Park Authority, said that cultural approaches play a vital role in sustaining conservation areas and strengthening public environmental awareness.

“Wakatobi’s local knowledge is born from a long relationship with nature. When traditions and culture are preserved, conservation values also thrive in the community. This makes cultural approaches highly relevant for climate adaptation and coastal ecosystem protection,” he stated.

On Kaledupa, traditional medicine and herbal practices are now only maintained by a small portion of the community. Similarly, the Hekulu-Kulu tradition in Tomia, which teaches environmentally friendly fishing practices, is gradually losing its cultural and ecological significance.

La Ode Saidin, the traditional leader of Kaledupa Island (Lakina Barata Kahedupa), emphasized that traditional knowledge is not just a cultural heritage but an integral part of coastal community life. He noted that long before the term “climate change” was known, ancestral traditions already contained ways for coastal communities to adapt.

“Medicinal plants, customary rituals, and ancestral knowledge are not just old stories. They are methods for understanding nature and sustaining life. If the younger generation no longer recognizes them, we lose our compass for maintaining a relationship with the environment,” he said.

Arts and Culture as a Gateway to Community-Based Climate Adaptation

As a series of small islands, Wakatobi stands on the front lines of climate change, facing threats from high waves, unpredictable seasons, drought, and a higher risk of climate-related disease outbreaks. YKAN supports coastal communities on small islands in strengthening resilience through diverse climate adaptation efforts. By conducting village-level climate vulnerability assessments, YKAN provides technical support to enhance community capacity for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation.

YKAN has also begun integrating behavioral change approaches into its climate adaptation programs in Wakatobi, using arts and culture as entry points. Songs, stories, dances, and visual arts are believed to make climate issues easier to understand, while also reconnecting communities with their local wisdom.

Muhammad Ilman, YKAN’s Ocean Program Director, stated that climate change affects not only the physical environment but also cultural practices, lifestyles, and the resilience of coastal communities. Therefore, it is crucial to combine modern science with local knowledge, customs, and culture to build awareness and strengthen socio-ecological resilience.

“Coastal community resilience cannot be built solely through infrastructure or technical interventions. Local knowledge, cultural practices, and human-nature relationships are vital assets in facing climate change. Arts and culture can give old knowledge a new language, making it easier for younger generations to understand climate risks while preserving their identity and local wisdom,” Ilman said.

YKAN hopes these two events will serve as examples of culture-based climate adaptation initiatives in Indonesia’s coastal and small island regions.