HOPE IN THE FIRE

Deforestation is one of the main drivers of global warming. In West Kalimantan, this issue is exacerbated by the practice of clearing forests and land through burning for investment gains, particularly in extractive industries such as oil palm plantations, mining, and real estate. However, industrial activity is not the only contributing factor. The colonial legacy of transmigration policies, which continue to this day, has also accelerated the rate of deforestation. The clearing of peatland areas for smallholder plantations, carried out without regard for local social and cultural values, further threatens the very existence of the Dayak indigenous people, who for centuries have practiced shifting cultivation based on communal cooperation a legacy of their ancestors, a source of life, and the foundation of their cultural identity.

The Dayak tradition of farming is a time-honored practice rooted in local knowledge and customary laws that predate the establishment of the state. In this tradition, land burning is conducted in a controlled manner, taking into account ecological cycles and soil regeneration, and is carried out with collective responsibility by the indigenous community.

However, the influx of large-scale investment in extractive industries has created conflicts of interest that have deprived indigenous peoples of their living space. Ancestral lands that were once integral to the cycle of traditional farming are now increasingly consumed by industrial expansion. Ironically, the very industries that often engage in illegal burning propagate narratives that scapegoat indigenous communities, accusing their traditional farming practices of being the primary cause of forest and land fires in Kalimantan.

As a result of this injustice, the Dayak indigenous people are not only losing their land and sources of food but also facing criminalization and stigma as environmental destroyers. The loss of farming land threatens their food security, erodes ancestral traditions, and undermines a cultural identity deeply rooted in the land and forest.

Therefore, protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and halting the exploitation of natural resources are urgent steps. These efforts are not only essential to safeguarding Kalimantan’s ecology as the lungs of the world but also to ensuring social justice for the local communities who have protected the forests for centuries.