Public policy professional and LSE alum, Dian Maya Safitri discusses the Waqf Forest Bogor initiative, a conservation project in Indonesia that uses Islamic endowment principles to promote environmental preservation, community engagement, and disaster mitigation.
In the bustling district of Bogor, where urban sprawl meets lush greenery, a unique conservation project is flourishing. The Waqf Forest Bogor, an initiative rooted in Islamic philanthropy, is emerging as a beacon of hope for nature conservation and community engagement. This 2.5-hectare sanctuary is not just a forest but a living testament to the power of collective action and environmental stewardship.
The concept of waqf, an Islamic endowment for charitable or religious purposes, dates back centuries. Traditionally, waqf has supported the construction of mosques, schools, and hospitals. The Waqf Forest Bogor represents a modern interpretation of this ancient practice and eco-theological value, focusing on environmental preservation, education, and disaster mitigation. This forest aims to combat deforestation by creating a sustainable green space that benefits both nature and the local community.
Waqf Forest Bogor was born out of a desire to address the environmental challenges facing Bogor district. This district, known for its botanical gardens and cool climate, is under increasing pressure from urbanization and deforestation.
“Waqf Forest Foundation was established based on my research on Islamic financing and climate change mitigation by adopting the concept of afforestation through a collective Islamic endowment called waqf forest. At that time, my paper went viral, resulting in the fundraising and buying our first land in Bogor to convert into a forest. The land is located near villages prone to landslides,” said Khalifah Muhammad Ali, the founder of Waqf Forest Foundation and academic in Islamic Economics from IPB (Bogor Agricultural Institute).
The National Research and Innovation Agency found that landslides are the most frequent natural disaster occurrences in 2024 compared to other disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes. The impacts of a landslide can be far-reaching, including loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, land damage, and depletion of natural resources. The current extreme weather in Indonesia, which causes heavy rainfalls in many regions, could make people living in rural areas with steep slopes more vulnerable to landslides.
To mitigate these impacts, trees and forests play an essential role in reducing soil erosion by providing an effective barrier against unstable geologic materials like rock, debris, and soil slips and limiting landslide run-out distances. Forests and trees also help prevent the risks of floods caused by landslide debris that obstructs rivers.
Based on its recent 2024 data, World Population Review scored Indonesia as the second most deforested country worldwide, although the forests of Indonesia represent 10% of the world’s remaining tropical forests.
“We always try to educate and involve local communities about the impacts of landslide and deforestation, combined with the Islamic values of environmental justice. We emphasized that planting trees and safeguarding waqf forest will not only benefit our future well-being and safety, but also an action to get an eternal divine reward (pahala sepanjang masa) as a Muslim,” Mr Khalifah explained the philosophical concept behind this initiative.
This environmentalist movement is in line with the emergence of Green Islam, which aims to address climate change and environmental degradation while honoring the earth as God’s creation. According to a hadith, a narrative record of Prophet Mohammad’s sayings and tradition, Muslims were highly encouraged to plant trees as an act of charity to bring good blessings from the planter to all who benefit from it.
“Cibunian village in Bogor District, where waqf forest is located, was previously hit severely by landslides. Before 2020, landslides often destroyed houses and infrastructures and caused a death toll. Since the beginning, Waqf Forest has been a community project that has invited villagers and grassroots people to plant trees and participate in ecotourism activities. Now we are reaping our efforts, as our village becomes greener and less vulnerable to landslides and floods,” Mr. Edih, a villager and champion of waqf forest ecotourism, told me in a recent interview.
Mr Edih informed further that illegal logging was rampant among villagers due to a lack of knowledge on the deforestation-based climate crisis. Since 2020, Waqf Forest Foundation has collaborated with BAZNAS (the National Zakat/Islamic Obligatory Donation Body) to raise awareness of the danger of illegal logging and to establish KATANA (abbreviation of kampung tanggap bencana or disaster responsive village) to equip local people with skills in monitoring potential of disasters and evacuating victims during landslides.
Considering the importance of reforestation through waqf forest and the need to expand this initiative nationwide, MOSAIC or Muslims for Shared Action on Climate Impact, organizes a campaign through an online platform kitabisa, inviting Indonesian Muslims to donate to Waqf Forest Foundation. Money from this crowdfunding mechanism will be spent to buy other land planted with trees. As the largest Muslim country in the world, in addition to support from various Islamic-based organizations such as BAZNAS, the National Waqf Body, and MUI (Indonesian Ulama Council), waqf forestry in Indonesia has a huge potential to be alternative funding to collectively address the alarming deforestation issue. The campaign was launched in December 2023 to coincide with the COP 28 summit in Dubai, because it was the right moment to convey the message that environmental protection is more important than political interests.
“I hope that one day global citizens and governments will know more about waqf forestry, and I urge all of us to take collective action to advocate, develop, and maintain waqf forest for the sake of our sustainable and resilient future,” said Mr Khalifa.
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and in no way reflect those of the International Development LSE blog or the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Featured image: Involving local communities to plan trees in waqf forest. Photo courtesy of Khalifah Muhammad Ali.
