In the heart of North Sumatra, the coastal rice paddies of Bali, and the vast rainforests of Borneo, something revolutionary is happening. Indonesia’s people – villagers, farmers, elders, and activists – are challenging powerful interests, defending fragile ecosystems, and, against all odds, winning.

Stories of environmental resilience are emerging in the world’s largest archipelago and one of its most biodiverse nations. Beneath the headlines of deforestation, pollution, and climate threats lies a contrary narrative – one of people reclaiming rights to their land, water, and justice.

Dairi’s fragile victory

In May 2025, after years of protests and legal battles, Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry revoked the environmental permit for the controversial zinc and lead mine in Dairi, North Sumatra. The mine was backed by China’s state owned Nonferrous Metals Mining Group and had been planned in one of the most seismically unstable regions in the country, which is prone to landslides and frequent earthquakes.

The local community – mostly farmers and Indigenous Batak people – have long feared for their safety. The proposed tailings dam which is designed to store toxic mining waste was to be built on unstable volcanic ash terrain. Expert assessments of this structure called it one of the most dangerous sites imaginable for such a build.

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“We are the potentially impacted people and we are asking the Chinese government to stop funding this project,” says Tioman Simangunsong, a resident of the town of Parongil. “If the proposed tailings dam leaks or collapses, which experts say is likely, we could be killed or our lands and water poisoned.”

But it wasn’t until eleven villagers filed a legal challenge that momentum began to shift. In August 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the environmental permit had been issues improperly and must be revoked. It took until May of this year for the ministry to comply.

Regardless, the ruling is historic. It sets a precedent that environmental feasibility approvals can be challenged and overturned in court, even under Indonesia’s controversial 2020 omnibus law.

“It confirms that environmental approvals, which replaced environmental permits, are administrative decisions and can be challenged in the administrative court. So there’s no debate anymore: these are legitimate legal objects that can be contested in court.” says Muhammad Jamil of JATAM – a mining watchdog.

For Dairi’s residents, the ruling is a fragile yet powerful affirmation of their rights. They are not anti-development, they just want development that won’t kill them.

Grassroots power in Bali

While courtrooms in Jakarta debated seismic risk and regulatory failure, a quieter change was unfolding on Indonesia’s most famous island. A grassroots revival of ancient wisdom is transforming how water is valued and governed in Bali – where tourism has critically strained freshwater resources.

Hotels and villas with infinity pools and freshly polished lawns took water from underground aquifers, which often left nearby villages dry. The island’s once abundant rivers and springs began to disappear. Saltwater intrusion was creeping into groundwater supplies.

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But now there is a new alliance is challenging the commodification of water. Their rallying cry is “Water is Life” and their blueprint is rooted in subak, Bali’s thousand-year-old irrigation system that treats water as a communal, sacred resource.

Across the island, local communities are restoring degraded springs, installing recharge wells to return rainwater to aquifers, and holding spiritual ceremonies to rekindle respect for water. They’ve begun mapping freshwater sources, organising workshops, and lobbying local authorities to recognize water as a collective right, not a private commodity. While Indonesia’s national water law still recognizes corporate concessions, Bali’s movement is shifting the cultural narrative.

What’s notable is that this transformation is not being driven by the state – it’s being led by everyday Balinese people, reclaiming both ecological stewardship and spiritual tradition in the face of modern pressures.

The dam that won’t break Borneo’s spirit

Hundreds of kilometers northeast in North Kalimantan, another frontline in Indonesia’s environmental struggle is taking shape. Here, in the lush forests near the Kayan River, plans for a colossal hydropower project – one of the largest in Southeast Asia -threaten to displace Indigenous communities and flood ancient rainforests.

The proposed dam, part of a $132 billion “green” industrial park backed by Chinese investment, is marketed as a solution to Indonesia’s energy needs and climate goals. But for local Dayak communities, the price is too high.

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This forest is their life. Their ancestors are buried there. Their food, their medicine, their stories – all come from this land.

Though the project has yet to receive final approval, surveyors have arrived, and logging has begun along access roads. Community members, supported by NGOs and legal advocates, are pushing back. They argue the dam violates their customary land rights and threatens to upend ecosystems critical to global biodiversity.

Unlike in Dairi, the battle in North Kalimantan is still unfolding. But the growing coalition of resistance – drawing on local knowledge, digital advocacy, and international solidarity – shows how the lessons of past environmental struggles are taking root.

One step at a time

Viewed in isolation, these stories might seem like isolated sparks of resistance. But together, they point to a deeper shift: Indonesians are reclaiming agency in decisions that affect their environment and future. Whether through court rulings, cultural revivals, or Indigenous resistance, communities are pushing back against top-down development that ignores local voices.

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This change is not yet systemic – powerful industries and political inertia remain. In Dairi, activists fear the mining company may try again with a new permit. In Bali, water commercialization persists in luxury enclaves. In Borneo, the dam project is far from defeated.

But what’s different now is the visibility and impact of grassroots action. The Dairi ruling affirms that legal challenges can succeed, even under deregulation. Bali shows that cultural narratives can be reclaimed to serve ecological resilience. And the Kalimantan resistance signals that even the most ambitious mega-projects are not immune to local opposition.

More than just defending landscapes, these movements are rebuilding trust – in the law, in tradition, in solidarity. They remind us that environmental justice is not just about policy or infrastructure, but about belonging, memory, and future generations.

Indonesia’s communities may not win every battle. But they are reshaping the terrain of possibility – one court case, one spring, one forest at a time.