How the project is building livelihoods that last
In 34 villages and across five sub-districts, the Katingan Mentaya Project has signed 80 formal agreements — Memoranda of Understanding — that commit to working with communities as partners, not bystanders. These are not bureaucratic formalities. They represent relationships built over years, and they underpin everything that follows.
The project has created an average of 176 jobs per year, with 82% filled by local people. Beyond direct employment, 3,987 individuals — including 599 women — have increased their household income. Some 6,581 people have experienced measurable improvements in their overall wellbeing. The numbers represent real families: rubber farmers learning agroforestry techniques, rattan weavers building small businesses, fishers receiving aquaculture support.
“Communities are not the obstacles to conservation they are its most essential partners.”
Among the flagship livelihood initiatives are renewable energy installations. Twenty-nine solar panel systems were installed across Tampelas villages, providing clean electricity to homes, community facilities, and — crucially — an albumin processing factory. In a landscape without reliable grid access, solar power transforms what is possible. Refrigeration. Lighting. Economic activity after dark. The ability to process and store fish products that would otherwise spoil.
The agroecology programme has trained farmers in no-burn, chemical-free cultivation techniques — reducing the risk of fire while improving long-term soil health and yields. For communities whose livelihoods depend on the land, this is not an abstract benefit. It is practical knowledge that makes farming more productive and the forest safer.
Women at the centre
One of the most striking features of the project’s community work is the role of women. Of the 14,313 community members who participated in 208 participatory planning meetings, 77% were women. Across health initiatives, capacity-building programmes, and livelihood training, women have been prioritised as agents of change.
The project has worked with women’s groups (PKK and others), supported women in accessing microfinance, and tracked outcomes specifically for female participants — from income gains to improved access to healthcare. Across the project lifetime, 6,878 women have experienced improved wellbeing as a result of project activities.
80 MoUs signed with villages and sub-districts
3,987 people with increased income
176/year avg jobs created (82% filled by local people)
77% women participating in planning meetings
29 solar panel systems installed
Capacity building has reached 44 local institutions, including village forest groups, women’s cooperatives, village-owned enterprises, and community fire response teams. These institutions don’t just benefit from the project, they help to govern it, monitor it, and sustain it. When the project’s formal work ends, these institutions will remain.
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