Imagine a place so vital to the planet that it’s known simply as “The Last Place on Earth.” This is the Gunung Leuser National Park in Aceh, Indonesia, the only place in the world where the Sumatran rhinoceros, elephant, tiger, and orangutan coexist in the wild. It is a staggering expanse of tropical rainforest, peatlands, and mountains—a powerhouse of biodiversity and a critical source of life-giving water for millions of people.
Yet, this paradise is under siege.
For decades, the Leuser Ecosystem has suffered relentless pressure from illegal logging, aggressive agricultural expansion, and wildlife poaching. This environmental catastrophe is not merely a tragedy for wildlife; it is a direct threat to the communities that rely on the forest’s health. In 2015, a heartbreaking flash flood tore through the Gayo highlands, an ecological disaster that forced the community to confront a painful truth. This tragic event sparked an urgent movement, which was led not by armed guards, but by a handful of courageous women.
the day the forest fought back in damaran baru
The tragedy struck on September 14, 2015, in Damaran Baru, a village nestled in the Bener Meriah Regency of Aceh.
Following heavy, prolonged rain, a flash flood tore through the village. The water was no ordinary flood; it was thick with mud and carried massive, broken tree trunks ripped from the mountainside above. The deforested slopes, stripped of the roots that stabilize the soil and absorb rainwater, could no longer hold back the deluge. The village was ravaged: houses were destroyed, and the coffee plantations—the foundation of the community’s livelihood—were severely damaged.
This was a moment of realization, especially for the women. They understood intimately that the destruction of the forest was an attack on their homes, their children’s future, and their ability to put food on the table. The traditional belief that forest protection was strictly “men’s work” was washed away in the floodwaters. A critical question emerged from the mud and ruin: if the men could not protect the forest, who would?
This crisis became the catalyst. The women of Damaran Baru resolved to stop waiting for external help and claim responsibility for their own survival. This determination served as the powerful bridge from victimhood to agency, leading them to form the group that would become the guardians of their home.
mpu uteun: the mothers who protect the forest
From the ashes of the 2015 disaster rose Mpu Uteun, a name in the Gayo language that translates powerfully to “The Mothers Who Protect the Forest.”
Led by the local initiative of a woman named Sumini, this group of female rangers stepped into a role considered taboo in the patriarchal cultural norms of Aceh. Facing initial social stigma—even being called “immoral” for patrolling the deep woods—they persevered, driven by the memory of the flood and an unwavering sense of duty.
The Mission and the Triumph
Mpu Uteun’s mission is built on the concept of relational care: they see the forest not as a resource to be exploited, but as a living ecosystem that supports their community. Their activities are hands-on, vital, and consistent:
- Forest Patrols: They regularly patrol the surrounding forest, hunting for and dismantling the snares of wildlife poachers and documenting local biodiversity.
- Reforestation: They actively work to repair the damage, focusing intensely on replanting along the riverbanks (Wih Gile) to restore the natural buffer zones.
- The Gentle Approach: When encountering illegal loggers, the women employ soft diplomacy and gentle negotiation, a strategy that has proven remarkably effective where aggressive, male-led confrontations often fail. As one ranger noted, “As women, we have a gentle approach when dealing with illegal loggers and negotiate well.”
Their greatest triumph came in 2019 when Mpu Uteun, through the local forest management institution (LPHK Damaran), successfully secured the right to manage 251 hectares of their village forest through a Social Forestry Permit (SK.9343/MENLHK-PSKL/PKPS/PSL.0/11/2019). They became the first village in Aceh to have a forest management permit granted directly to a women’s group. This act of securing the land title—251 hectares of precious watershed—is a monumental victory for grassroots conservation.
the unavoidable cost of deforestation
The tragedy that sparked the Mpu Uteun movement in 2015 has delivered a devastating reminder of the ongoing threat. In the recent, destructive flash flooding incidents reported across Sumatra and Aceh, the link between environmental degradation and community disaster has once again been tragically confirmed. This reality underscores one undeniable truth: where the vital forest buffer is stripped, communities remain vulnerable. This serves as an immediate reminder that we must respect, protect, and actively restore nature, for the well-being and survival of every community in the region.
protecting the future: the lesson of local bravery
The Mpu Uteun journey proves that local people are often the most powerful, effective, and resilient protectors of our planet’s most treasured places. They secured their future simply by turning tragedy into action.
Their story is a potent call to action for all of us: You don’t need a huge budget or an army to make a difference. You need conviction, community, and the courage to start small. Look at your own environment, your own community, and identify where local, intentional action can begin the healing process. The greatest revolution is often the one that begins in your own backyard, led by the people who know the land best. The future of our planet rests on the willingness of people, just like the women of Mpu Uteun, to stand up and say: “This is our home, and we will protect it.”
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#MpuUteun #WomenInConservation #LeuserEcosystem #GayoHighlands #LocalAction #Indonesia
Source:
- Mpu Uteun: The Role and Challenges of Female Initiators in Preserving Forest Functions – Open Journal Unimal
- Mpu Uteun: Rangers Perempuan Penjaga Hutan Damaran Baru Aceh – Rumah KitaB
- MpU Uteun, Ranger Perempuan Penjaga Hutan Aceh – Mongabay
- Feature: Female rangers serve as nature protectors on Indonesia’s Mount Leuser – Xinhua
- Challenging norms, protecting forests: The agency and negotiation strategies of women rangers in Aceh, Indonesia – ResearchGate
- Mpu Uteun: The Forest Guardian – Yoppie Pieter
