TRANSFORMING ASIA

This report by Friends of the Earth International highlights community-led solutions across the Asia Pacific region to combat climate change and inequality. It showcases specific projects in forest management, cooperatives, sustainable tourism, and legal rights, calling for governments to scale up these models through enabling policy environments and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies.

• In Indonesia, Friends of the Earth (FoE) is implementing a community-led forest protection model based on subsistence farmers' land rights and collective management. Between 2000 and 2012, Indonesia lost 15.8 million hectares of forest, primarily due to industrial palm oil, timber, and mining. The Indonesian government has promised 12.7 million hectares for Community based Forestry by 2019, which is expected to protect forests and secure livelihoods for over 10 million people.
• FoE Australia promotes the 'Social and Solidarity economy' through models like the Melbourne Food Co-operative, established in 1975. This co-operative serves over 10,000 meals annually and prioritizes local, organic, and packaging-free produce. In 2012, the non-for-profit sector contributed AUS$55 billion (US$ 40 billion) to the Australian economy.
• In Sri Lanka, a revolving fund was established in Nilgala to provide an alternative to high-interest moneylenders and microcredit. With initial financial support from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Sri Lanka, the fund provided 800,000 Sri Lankan Rupees (US$5,500) to over 500 beneficiary families across 10 villages, allowing them to borrow at a 1% interest rate.
• FoE Timor Leste has developed community-based eco-cultural tourism in Tutuala, Maubisse, and Laloran to diversify the economy away from oil and gas. The Tutuala venture has hosted over 4,000 tourists from more than 140 countries, using income to improve living standards and fund education.
• In Nepal, legal action led by FoE Nepal/Pro Public resulted in the Supreme Court confirming a universal legal right to adequate food in 2011. This legal victory contributed to the 2015 constitution of Nepal, which includes explicit recognition of the Right to Food to address food insecurity affecting approximately 5 million undernourished people.
• FoE South Korea is promoting citizen-owned solar cooperatives to reduce reliance on nuclear power. Projects include installations at Samgaksan high school and Hanshin University, with 180 million Korean Won (180,000 USD) raised by the community. The movement aims to expand capacity, with targets mentioned up to 900kW by 2018.
• In Papua New Guinea (PNG), where 97% of land is under customary ownership, FoE PNG challenges illegal land grabbing. It is estimated that 5.2 million hectares of customary land have been alienated via Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) under the Land Act 1996. In 2014, communities in Collingwood Bay, Oro Province, won a court case against the Malaysian company KL to recover their land.
• FoE Malaysia/SAM supports agroecology to counter the negative health and environmental impacts of the 'Green Revolution's' chemical-intensive farming. Projects in the Baram District of Sarawak include growing gaharu saplings for communal reserves and cash crops, as well as establishing medicinal plant nurseries in at least 4 villages.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). TRANSFORMING ASIA. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Report_-Transforming-Asia-scaling-up-the-solutions.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. TRANSFORMING ASIA. n.d. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Report_-Transforming-Asia-scaling-up-the-solutions.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=TRANSFORMING ASIA |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Report_-Transforming-Asia-scaling-up-the-solutions.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalndtransforming, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{TRANSFORMING ASIA}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Report_-Transforming-Asia-scaling-up-the-solutions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }