Help us make it work

“Nature conservation through collaboration with and development of the local population.” That is the mission of Masarang, our foundation in Indonesia, founded in 2001 by Dr Eng Willie Smits.
Masarang finds solutions for the most urgent global problems of our time: deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change, poverty and underdevelopment.

The activities of Masarang may take place in Indonesia but they play a global role. After all, the problems in Indonesia have an impact on the entire planet. Ongoing deforestation is leading to massive carbon dioxide emissions with great consequences for climate change and the environment. Masarang is tackling these issues at their heart and works to find sustainable solutions which will work long-term.

A balanced and integrated approach
Masarang does not look at an environmental issue in isolation but provides integrated solutions. Our activities uniquely connect nature’s capacities, the potential of local people, local customs, technology and science. Nature needs to be protected, but this protection should also create revenue and be supported by the local community.

Innovative solutions
Masarang implements smart and innovative solutions which have been shown to work. Masarang fights not only the symptoms of an environmental problem but tackles them at the root. We implement sustainable solutions that really work in the long term. Since its foundation, the organization has proven that its approach works and has made concrete progress and results. More information you can find under the what we do pages, where we describe the results

Part of the local community
Nature protection is only sustainable when local people benefit from it and support it. The activities of Masarang are deeply rooted in local society and is mostly carried out by local people, who, because of this, are able to create a sustainable livelihood and protect their natural environment actively.