Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) is a non-profit organization based in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, working in planetary health in action. ASRI’s mission is to conserve the biodiversity of Indonesia's tropical rainforests by addressing the health and economic needs of surrounding communities. 

Since 2007, ASRI has worked near the Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP), a 108,000-hectare rainforest in Borneo that is home to 5-10% of the world’s remaining orangutans and a crucial watershed for over 60,000 people. Based on ASRI’ impact survey, for the last 15 years ASRI programs have been contributed to the decrease of illegal logging by 82.28% from the year 2007 to 2022. 

One of ASRI’s flagship program is mobile clinic, in which providing high-quality and discounted healthcare to the local communities living around and in the intervention areas as an exchange for their commitments to protect and conserve the forest. In recent years, ASRI has expanded this successful model to additional communities near Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park in West Kalimantan and the Tambrauw Nature Reserve in West Papua. 

ASRI collaborates with the National Park to run the Chainsaw Buyback program, where ASRI "buys" chainsaws from loggers and replaces them with business capital and mentoring to help them transition to sustainable livelihoods that do not harm the forest. Credit: © Nadya Ajlina / ASRI

November 2024, ASRI is selected as one of participants in Ashden’s new Thriving Forests program. The initiative is funded by the Nature Recovery Project and aims to protect or restore one million hectares of forest across Africa, Asia, and South America, creating a robust line of defense against climate change. This is one of milestones for ASRI to reach wider impacts to other forest communities and important biodiversity sites in Indonesia. With these additional resources, ASRI aims to increase the sustainable livelihoods, improve biodiversity conservation and health to the forest communities. 

Ekoningtyas Margu Wardani, ASRI’s Executive Director, expressed the organization’s excitement: “We are thrilled to join the Thriving Forests program. This support will enable ASRI to deepen our work with local communities to protect and restore forests. Moreover, the program will reach wider impact to the forest communities and biodiversity conservations. This will strengthen our foundation as we continue building a healthier, more resilient environment for future generations.”

“Our health is interconnected with the health of our planet,” Wardani added. “It’s crucial that we work together on this journey to preserve our environment.”

ASRI, focusing on planetary health, operates the Mobile Clinic program. ASRI brings medical professionals, including general practitioners, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists, to forest-adjacent areas with limited access to healthcare. Credit: © Finlan Aditya Aldan

ASRI joins an impressive cohort of organizations in the Thriving Forests program:

• Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI), Indonesia
• Forêt Pour le Développement Intégral, Democratic Republic of Congo
• Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch
• Tropical Forest and Rural Development, Cameroon
• Nsombou Abalghe-Dzal Association, Gabon
• CERAF-NORD, Cameroon
• Mbou Mon Tour, Democratic Republic of Congo
• ECA Amarakaeri, Peru

Ashden CEO Dr. Ashok Sinha emphasized the importance of the initiative: “Forests are on the frontline of our defence against climate change. We know that forest communities have the knowledge and motivation to protect their land, but often lack the resources and connections to do so. That’s why Thriving Forests will support outstanding organisations that work hand-in-hand with local people, growing their incomes and helping them protect these vital ecosystems on behalf of all of us.”

"Our ambitious Thriving Forests programme will bring immediate support to frontline organisations, but also set them on the path to winning further funding.”

On the eve of another COP climate summit, billed as one focussing on finance, this message is crucial: world leaders should steer more finance towards local organisations who work so effectively with some of those most threatened by the climate emergency. And over the next three years of this programme, Ashden will play our part in winning that shift in mindset by broadcasting the success stories of the amazing organisations we support far and wide.”

This partnership with Ashden and the support of the Thriving Forests program represents a milestone for ASRI, further empowering the organization to protect Indonesia’s critical forests and the livelihoods of communities that depend on them.