Rikhul Jannah (contributor), Jakarta – A peaceful Earth Day 2026 action organised by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) took place in front of the gates to the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Friday April 24.
Dozens of students and members of the public took to the streets carrying banners and placards reading "RIP the Right to Life", "Environment Damaged Disasters Act" and "RIP the Right to a Good and Healthy Environment".
The protest action reflected public concern over the worsening environmental conditions. Earth Day action coordinator Feby emphasised that this year's commemoration is no longer merely symbolic, but rather is filled with real concerns about the climate crisis.
"From the continuing burning of forests, coastlines that are increasingly eroded, to villages increasingly vulnerable to crop failure, all of this shows that this crisis is not a future threat, but rather a present reality", she emphasised.
Feby revealed that environmental damage in Indonesia is having an extensive impact on the lives of the current and future generations. She highlighted the increasing frequency of ecological disasters and the decline in environmental quality.
"We live amidst extreme weather, declining water, air and environmental quality, and increasingly frequent ecological disasters", she said.
Feby also criticised the management of natural resources, which she considers to be the root of the crisis. She cited deforestation, the expansion of extractive industries and development that ignores environmental carrying capacity as the main factors exacerbating the situation.
"The state often acts as a permit issuer, not a protector. As a result, indigenous and local communities are increasingly marginalised from their living spaces", she said.
In addition to the climate crisis, she highlighted the biodiversity crisis, which runs parallel and has a direct impact on food security, health and the socio-cultural sustainability of communities.
"This condition shows that climate justice cannot be separated from biodiversity protection", she said. "When forests are destroyed, seas are polluted, and land loses its ecological function, what is lost is not only the environment, but also the future of our generation", she continued.
In their demands, the protesters urged the government and the DPR to immediately take concrete steps that side with the ordinary people.
They proposed four main points: the ratification of the Draft Law on Climate Justice as a legal basis for protecting current and future generations, the establishment of strong institutions to synchronise cross-sectoral policies, the integration of Gender, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) instruments into climate policy and firm law enforcement against perpetrators of environmental destruction.
Feby emphasised that Earth Day must be a turning point for policy change, not just an annual ceremony.
"Earth Day is not just a ceremony. It's a reminder that the time for action is running out. Climate policy without justice will just be a formality far removed from meeting the needs of the ordinary people", asserted Feby.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Hari Bumi 2026: Rakyat Suarakan Keadilan Iklim dan Kritik Tata Kelola Negara".]
