Despite some headway toward slowing deforestation over a decade ago, the 2020s began with rising rates and a difficult year for forests and the people who live within them due to COVID-19. The pandemic was initially associated with an increase in illegal logging due to lockdowns preventing monitoring — while more than ever, the link between environmental degradation, animals, and the spread of diseases was made clear.
One organization is using a multifaceted approach to trying to revive forests in Indonesia, Brazil, and Madagascar. International NGO Health In Harmony works to replant critical forests as well as stop illegal logging by providing incentives, from chainsaw buyback schemes to providing affordable health services so that people don’t turn to illegal logging to pay their medical bills.
Mahardika Putra Purba, an assistant professor of forestry at the Agricultural Polytechnic of Kupang, ran the HIH program as director and then conservation manager in Borneo for four years and is now a conservation specialist and consultant, supporting the organization to take the model to Madagascar and Brazil.
About the author
Helen Lock
Helen Lock is a former associate editor at Devex, responsible for commissioning, editing, and producing content on the partnerships editorial team. She has seven years of experience in journalism as a multimedia content producer for an international advocacy organization and as a reporter and section editor for U.K. national newspapers. As a freelance journalist, she covered cities, tech for good, global development, and education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Manchester and a master’s in Journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London.
