Working With Nature Against Poverty – UnitingWorld

In the far north of West Papua, a human and environmental crisis is unfolding side by side. People struggle through poverty and the growing impacts of climate change, while the ecosystem they depend on is being destroyed for short-term profit.
A UnitingWorld story from our August 2025 edition of Revive magazine.

Frans, a fisherman and grandfather (pictured), lives in a coastal town with three generations of his family under the same roof. Every morning, he goes out to catch just enough fish for the day.

“There’s no market to sell the fish, and the power here is too unreliable for fridges,” he says. “So we only catch what we’ll eat.”

In Frans’ neighbourhood, flooding has become more frequent. The shoreline is eroding, and king tides and hurricanes have sent near waist-high seawater through houses, gardens and crops a few times in recent years. The destruction of mangroves along the coast also means fewer fish nurseries and less protection from storms.

“The government built two sea walls, which has helped, but they’ve also allowed companies to cut trees in the mountains. That has damaged the forest.”

The damage has consequences. Illegal and unsustainable logging has triggered flash floods and landslides in nearby communities. The lack of economic and livelihood opportunities has tragic health implications, especially for children. One in five are malnourished, and rates of stunting are among the highest in Indonesia. Families are finding it harder to grow food, catch fish or access affordable alternatives. The cost of environmental damage is being paid in hunger and lost opportunities.

But our church partner, the Evangelical Christian Church in the Land of Papua (GKI-TP), is helping communities like Frans’s find another way.

“People want a better life, but the quickest way to earn money is by cutting down the trees or selling their land,” says GKI-TP Program Manager Donaltus Rumbesu.

“We want to help people make a living and have long- term food security without destroying the environment. If our approach works here, we can use it as a model to adapt for communities across Papua.”

With support from UnitingWorld, GKI-TP is working with communities to grow food, build livelihoods and protect the environment. Over the next three years, the project will support families to plant climate- resilient food gardens, start small businesses, and undertake sustainable agriculture and fishing. It will also train local leaders to become climate and conservation champions, especially women and youth.

“This is the work of the church and how we should be in the world,” says Donaltus.

“When people come to us in need, we don’t get to say no. We’re called to do what Jesus did. We love and serve people; we do what we can to help them. And through that, we get to see Jesus in person.”

Amen.

Support nature-based solutions to poverty and climate extremes. You can help communities grow food, earn income and protect the environment they rely on. Visit www.unitingworld.org.au/westpapua to find out more and donate.