Validation Workshop Enhancing co-benefits of conservation area management through an inclusive wildlife-based ecotourism strategy (WILDLIFE ECOTOURISM)
Penulis dan visual: Communication Unit
The Project Preparation Grant (PPG) is a funding mechanism utilized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to design and prepare comprehensive sustainable development projects, financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The PPG focuses on initiatives in the areas of environmental protection, food security, climate change, and inclusive development. GEF is an international funding institution that supports global environmental projects. One such project is titled “Enhancing Co-benefits of Conservation/Protected Area Management through an Inclusive Wildlife-Based Ecotourism Strategy (ECOTOURISM)”, which is funded through the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF).
This project is being implemented in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia, specifically the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, through the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (KSDAE), c.q. the Directorate of Environmental Services Utilization. The objective is to enhance the effectiveness of protected area management and address development challenges through a wildlife-based ecotourism (WBE) approach.
The project duration is five years and will be implemented in five national parks: Way Kambas National Park, Tanjung Puting National Park, Wakatobi National Park, Baluran National Park, and Alas Purwo National Park.
As part of the preparation and development of this strategic project, the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) team—comprising both international and national experts working under UNDP in collaboration with the the Directorate of Environmental Services Utilization, the Indonesia Ministry of Tourism—conducted a validation workshop on April 16–17, 2025, in Jakarta. The forum brought together representatives from relevant Ministries, academics, NGOs, UNDP, and the consulting team.
This validation workshop marked the final stage of a series of preparatory activities, including workshops, assessment visits, and stakeholder consultations carried out from January to March 2025.
The opening session was delivered by Indonesia GEF Operational Focal Point, Ibu Laksmi Dewanthi, and the Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation, represented by Bapak Nandang Prihadi, Director of Environmental Services Utilization, Indonesia Ministry of Forestry. The session featured presentations on key aspects of the project, including the current situation, profiles of the five national parks targeted by the project, the Project Results Framework, gender issues, stakeholder engagement strategies, and safeguarding measures. These presentations and discussions were facilitated by the consulting team, which includes subject matter experts Mikhail Plastyn, Ph.D., Wiwik Mahdayani (Ecotourism Expert from Indonesia), Emay Fajardo, Hanom Bashari, and Agatia Wenny.
The workshop served as a platform to ensure that all stakeholders share a common understanding of the project’s direction, objectives, and implementation plans. It also encouraged participants to provide input and reach consensus on the project timeline and next steps through a structured and participatory approach.
This project is envisioned as a strategic initiative to harmonize the objectives of wildlife conservation with the socio-economic development of local communities through sustainable ecotourism practices.
The project aims to become a best-practice model through promotion of cross-sectoral collaboration, enhancing stakeholder synergy, and honoring local wisdom and values. One of its core objectives is to mainstream conservation as a baseline for advancing ecotourism and sustainable development in Indonesia.
Indonesia extensive conservation forest areas—covering approximately 27 million hectares—hold a vast natural asset and beauty, offering strong existing resources for the development of wildlife-based ecotourism. This form of ecotourism emphasizes experiences centered on the protection and observation of wildlife in their natural habitats. These ecotourism resources are found across numerous national parks, which serve as sanctuaries for various keystone, endemic, and endangered species.
Ecotourism is a practical application of sustainable tourism principles, offering solutions to address the overexploitation of natural resources, increasing carbon footprints, and declining ecosystem quality in protected areas due to overtourism.
This approach seeks to balance economic interests, environmental conservation, and community welfare, through collaboration among visitors, businesses, local communities, and government stakeholders to ensure environmentally responsible tourism development and travel practices.
The development of wildlife-based ecotourism not only provides educational travel experiences for visitors but also serves as a funding source for conservation efforts. This model becomes a strategic solution to sustain both conservation efforts and the economic well-being of local communities—while contributing to national revenue through an allocation of a part of tourism revenue to ecosystem preservation, wildlife monitoring, and community empowerment.
DESMA Center is committed to supporting the development of sustainable wildlife-based ecotourism through policy development, capacity building, human resource training, and data-driven research to ensure that ecotourism in Indonesia evolves in a sustainable, inclusive, and impactful way for both the environment and local communities.
DESMA Center is one of experts the PPG team, serves UNDP in assisting the Indonesian government to prepare and develop this project of “Enhancing co-benefits of conservation/protected area management through an inclusive wildlife-based ecotourism strategy (WILDLIFE ECOTOURISM)”
