Women’s business — selling water from the forest

Women’s business — selling water from the forest

Indonesia - 13 June, 2019
Koen KustersKoen Kusters

Laman Satong is a small village located on the foot of two forested hills in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The forests are formally owned by the government, but in 2011 the community successfully applied for a so-called village forest permit, giving them the legal right to sell forest products for a period of 35 years.

A group of women saw this opportunity and grabbed it, developing their own business: selling water from a well in the forest to villagers and nearby oil palm companies.

In this video, Yuliana Irit, one of the driving forces behind the water business, explains how they work. Things are running smoothly, she says, but are not perfect yet.

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This story also appeared on Landscape news. This series will be continue to be co-published on Landscape News in the lead-up to the 2019 Global Landscapes Forum Bonn, 22-23 June, highlighting the forum's theme of rights.

Cover photo: Yuliana Irit at a water reservoir in the village forest of Laman Satong. Irpan Lamago