Nasywa Adivia Wardana, Erasing Smoke to Become Hope

Being a victim of an environmental disaster in Sumatra moved Nasywa to dare to speak about climate justice at the largest climate change conference at COP28, Dubai.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Nasywa Adivia Wardana, Menghapus Asap Menjadi Asa

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

Nasywa Adivia Wardana (16), a young activist from the Indonesian Women's Union (Seruni), spoke at a forum entitled "Young and Fearless: The Powerful Voices of Young Women Environmental Right Defenders" in the women's and gender pavilion at the COP28 event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday (5/12/2023). Nasywa was a representative of Indonesia from Jambi.

Since she was a child, Nasywa has felt the despair caused by the haze from the palm plantation fires in Sumatra. At the age of 16, she shared this memory with female activists from around the world at the COP28 Climate Change Conference in Dubai, UAE. However, she has now replaced this story with a hope for environmental change as a young activist in Tebo Regency, Jambi.

Sitting in the middle circle with some adult female speakers from Senegal, Malawi, Pakistan, and Brazil, Nasywa confidently read her story in Indonesian. She recounted her journey to become a young activist on Sumatra Island, which has a host of environmental and social problems.

"I was awakened and gained a new awareness as a women and environmental activist at a very young age due to several reasons. Firstly, since I was a child, I have been a victim of smoke disasters caused by large-scale land fires that occurred in Sumatra Island, specifically Riau Province," said Nasywa loudly as she read out the text that she had prepared with her parents, on Tuesday (5/12/2023).

The story of one of the young activists of the Indonesian Women's Union (Seruni) was translated into English by Seruni's Secretary General, Triana Kurnia Wardani. They sat side by side while listening to issues related to climate and gender justice from other speakers. They gathered at a forum entitled "Young and Fearless: The Powerful Voices of Young Women Environmental Right Defenders" at the Women and Gender Pavilion of COP28.

"Becoming an environmental and women's rights activist at a young age is one of my prides. I have obtained an environment that is suitable for growing as an activist, so I could be in this position. I am certain that there are many other young people who want to be in this position like me. Knowing closely how environmental issues are discussed at the global level and how policy-making processes are fought for in the interest of the people," said the girl who went abroad for the first time sponsored by the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action. "

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

A group of participants in a forum titled "Young and Fearless: The Powerful Voices of Young Women Environmental Right Defenders" gathered at the women's and gender pavilion during COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday (5/12/2023).

From COP28, he admitted to learning about various complex environmental issues, especially efforts to stop greenhouse gas emissions. He also learned that peat forests in Sumatra, which are threatened by land use change and therefore vulnerable to fires, must be preserved because they are able to absorb greenhouse gases.

Meanwhile, he also began to understand that the entire world is also facing many environmental problems due to the greenhouse gas effect, such as islands that are at risk of sinking, heat waves up to 40 degrees Celsius, and unresolved threats of acute hunger.

Also read: Roslinda, Village Child Who Speaks at the UN Forum

Environmentally inspired

When met by Kompas after being a speaker, the high school student admitted that she knew about the world of activism from her parents. As a child, Nasywa heard talks and discussions about smoke and land fires, especially in oil palm plantation areas every dry season. He has also taken part in mass actions demanding smoke management and punishment for the landlords who committed the arson, along with other children.

However, his involvement in the activity was not solely because he witnessed the activism of his parents or others around him. He was moved by the negative impact of environmental damage that he has been experiencing since he was eight years old. At that time, in 2015, he had to isolate himself for months to avoid the smoke from the palm oil plantation fires in Riau. Unable to attend school and play with peers, he only befriended an oxygen tank and a mask.

"I have to stay at home. Can't leave the house, can't see the blue sky, and can't feel the warmth of the sun," he said.

In a province with the largest oil palm plantation land in Indonesia, he realizes that the disaster of fire smoke is just the tip of the iceberg. Oil palm plantations also bring other environmental problems, such as drying up water sources for other agricultural land.

"I see that small farmers in the area are unable to sustain the crops any better because the nutrients are being absorbed by palm oil. The soil there is also already dry and can be considered unproductive for planting other crops," he said.

SERUNI

Nasywa Adivia Wardana (16), a young activist of the Indonesian Women's Union (Seruni), is pictured in the middle of an organic garden at their project site in Tebo Regency, Jambi.

Environmental issues are also frequently encountered by him when he moved with his parents to Tebo Regency, Jambi. There, he witnessed the poor water quality of the Batanghari River due to traditional gold mining activities. And once again, the forest fire smoke often appears and gets worse every five years. In 2022, he decided to become a child activist with the Seruni organization.

He then became involved in programs to restore rivers up to empowering the community, especially children. He and his colleagues in the organization built a sandbag dam to filter the mercury-contaminated water of the Batanghari River. He was also involved in the construction of the eco-friendly Rivera Park in Tebo Regency. Nasywa is also active in promoting the planting of organic food crops that are environmentally friendly in the village where he lives.

Although the activity brought benefits, not everyone agreed with Nasywa's and the organization's efforts, such as residents, landowners, and the police.

"The challenge is that many do not appreciate what we do, like the landlords there who see creating floods and breaking rules." clarified.

Also read: Indonesian Teenagers Vote for Climate Justice at COP28 Dubai

Child care

Among the challenges that Nasywa faces in her effort to improve the environment, she also encounters obstacles from her peers. She finds many young people in rural areas who are difficult to collaborate with because their parents rely on gold mining or oil palm farming jobs. "And culturally, they are often difficult to persuade to think forward," she said.

However, Nasywa is confident they are truly sensitive to environmental issues like herself. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in its 2022 report estimated that 149 million children worldwide have experienced the vulnerability of climate disasters, ranging from droughts and floods, strong winds, to air quality degradation. This condition has prompted many young people to voice demands for their environmental and social justice.

"I and young people like myself have received broad support and protection in carrying out our activities," said Nasywa optimistically when speaking to the international community in Dubai.

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

Nasywa Adivia Wardana (16), a young activist from Serikat Perempuan Indonesia (Seruni) in Jambi, Indonesia, is currently present at the Conference of Parties (COP28) on Climate Change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday (5/12/2023).

Nasywa Adivia Wardana

Birth: Yogyakarta, August 9 2007

Education: SMA Negeri 2 Tebo

This article was produced as part of the Climate Change Media Partnership 2023, a journalism scholarship organized by Earth Journalism Network Internews and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.