Outreach and Education for Natural Resources Governance

Results achieved as of the end of the project (August 2012) include: A joint campaign approach to raising awareness about sustainable natural resource management led by non-governmental organizations has been promoted in three provinces in Sulawesi (North South and Southeast). The joint campaign in Southeast Sulawesi has been particularly successful as evidenced by the presentation of a position paper to the provincial government that resulted in a review of spatial plans for the province some of which would have been detrimental to the local environment and livelihoods. To date a total of 21 changes in policies laws regulations and practices can be attributed to the project’s efforts to engage civil society and local government. In all three provinces as a result of the project over 16 000 newspaper articles have been published over 190 talk shows and documentary films have been produced and aired and 298 radio talk shows have been broadcast all related to environmental and natural resource governance issues. At least two dozen journalists received training or participated in learning trips providing them with skills to improve factual reporting on natural resources management issues. In North Sulawesi over 250 000 people routinely read the articles produced and 1.1 million people have been reached through television shows. Readers in South Sulawesi are estimated at around 750 000. A new environmental management education program developed through the project has been acknowledged by the National Education Agency and is promoted by two teacher networks reaching at least 300 schools. In Southeast Sulawesi the project has helped to introduce environmental education curricula in the districts of Kendari and Wakatobi with tens of thousands of students benefiting.