In Bali, the Masyarakat Adat Dalem Tamblingan fight deforestation and over-tourism to protect nature

The Masyarakat Adat Dalem Tamblingan (Adat Tamblingan Indigenous Peoples) have lived in and around the Alas Mertajati Forest and Lake Tamblingan areas in northcentral Bali since at least the 9th century AD. But the ecosystems it calls home are facing growing threats from agribusiness, illegal logging, and tourism. Now, the community is fighting back and appealing to the government to legally recognize nearly 7,000 hectares of its customary territory.
Video credits: Gede Sugiarta
Photo credits: Santhi Wijaya
Video organizers: Badan Registrasi Wilayah Adat (BRWA), Yayasan Wisnu, and Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI).
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From September 17-21, 2023, BRWA, Yayasan Wisnu, and RRI organized a media site visit to the MADT to document and amplify the community’s land rights struggle at the national and international levels. Two journalists, Michael Taylor (Reuters) and Pandu Mustika (Kompas) joined us on the trip.
This video would not have been possible without the generosity and kindness of the MADT, whose story deserves to be told until justice is won.