How a national park in Central Kalimantan vanishes in plain sight
By Gembong Hanung
June 30, 2026After years of destruction, Sebangau forest was named a national park with the goal of protecting it from further deforestation. More than 20 years later, forest degradation is still happening inside the park’s borders from agriculture and mining, raising questions about authorities’ efforts to preserve nature.
For many Dayak people, the indigenous dwellers of Kalimantan forests, an old adage remains their way of life: “Ingat peteh Tatu Hiang, petak danum akan kolunen harian andau” (Remember the advice of our ancestors; the land and water are for generations to come).
But as their home in the Indonesian part of Borneo Island has become one of the world’s flashpoints of deforestation, their belief in guarding their homeland and passing it down to their children has faded, along with the forests.
