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
Nestled in between 300-year-old trees, hundreds of orchids, and thousands of other plant species—many of which are found nowhere else on Earth—are 17 temples built along the border of the Masyarakat Adat Dalem Tamblingan (MADT)’s territory in northcentral Bali. Standing at 1,300m above sea level with mossed roofs, discrete yellow ornamentations and no walls, the temples blend in with their natural surroundings.
These temples are emblematic of the way the MADT understand their reciprocal relationship with the natural world: Their belief system, known as Piagem Gama Tirta, translates to “reverence for water and living in harmony with nature.”
“We do not call what we do conservation. It’s our daily habit and it is who we are,” said Putu Willy Suputra, a MADT youth trekking guide.
The community recognizes the Alas Mertajati Forest as the source of all life. The name Mertajati literally translates to “source of life” in the local language. Lake Tamblingan, the largest of four lakes in Bali, is similarly believed to have medicinal and life-giving properties. The forest irrigates agricultural, residential, coastal, and tourist areas as far south as Denpasar and the lake supplies the island with nearly one-third of its annual water supply.
In other words, the conservation practices of the MADT benefit not only the community, but also over 4 million people who call Bali home and millions of tourists who visit each year.
What does Indigenous-led conservation look like in Masyarakat Adat Dalem Tamblingan?
The Alas Mertajati Forest and its surrounding area are home to 20,000 MADT members spread across four villages. Their customary territory covers approximately 6,991 hectares of land, including 5,693 hectares of paddy fields, intercrop plantations and village settlements; and 1,298 hectares of forest.
According to historical inscriptions found buried near Lake Tamblingan, Indigenous Peoples have been living in the area since at least the 9th century AD. In the 14th century, the community moved away from Lake Tamblingan to a lower elevation to protect the lake and surrounding forest from soil erosion, degradation and human harm.
“The forest is our temple. We don’t get resources from it. We may take some herbs for medicine, but we don’t use [the forest] for economic purposes. Our purpose is to renature it and return it back to its original state,” said Putu Willy.
What makes the MADT unique is its hyper-local approach to conservation. Rituals and ceremonies are performed to honor the environment and the community’s source of livelihood are activities such as rice farming, agriculture, gardening and commerce.
For example, the Women Farmers’ Group is an Indigenous women-led enterprise consisting of 22 MADT women and girls who sustainably plant, grow, harvest, roast, and package coffee beans to be sold in coffee houses and shops throughout Bali, generating income for the community. The Group collectively processes over 700kg of coffee per month.
The community believes it is their spiritual and moral duty to maintain the integrity of the lands and waters that their families have protected and depended on for centuries. But without legal sovereignty over their customary territory, its ability to protect the territory is constantly under threat.
Threatened by deforestation and degradation
In 1996, the Mertajati Forest and surrounding area of over 1,300 hectares was classified as a Nature Tourism Park by the Indonesian Forest Ministry. Today, the Park is experiencing significant deforestation and forest degradation from illegal logging, monocropping, and water pollution and soil erosion from over-tourism.
In the decades since 1996, community members have noticed that the flowers and fruit trees they planted to perform ceremonies are being stolen. Naturally fallen trees that offer crucial health benefits to the soil and ecosystems that rely on them are being delimbed and carted off into cities to be sold for profit. Illegal logging causes mud and sediment to flow into the lake, impacting local flora and fauna as well as rice production at lower altitudes.
Since the establishment of the Alas Mertajati Forest as a Nature Tourism Park, there have been plans to open up the sacred forest to even more tourism, which would have a significant negative impact on the community. One investor proposed building a gondola over the lake as a tourist attraction but rescinded the proposal after receiving strong opposition. Others have said the community’s ceremonies would be a “good show” and great for local tourism.
“There are things we can tolerate when it comes to outsiders visiting the lake and the forest, but other things we will not. If the government were to offer a permit to build a restaurant or accommodation on the lake, we would fight against this. We would die to protect our lake against this,” said Putu Ardana, a village elder and MADT community leader.
In 2019, the community submitted a formal application to the government for the recognition of its customary territory, but no response has been received at the time of writing.
“It makes me sad for our brothers and sisters in the south and afraid of what [tourism can do] in the future if our land is not recognized,” said Putu.
Read more