Accurate maps produced using open-source technology are helping communities in Indonesia to advance land rights, support recovery and plan for sustainable, inclusive land management.

The Lacuna project is equipping students, academic institutions and local communities in Indonesia with the skills to produce, interpret and apply open-source, high-resolution land cover maps to support sustainable land management.

In Majene, West Sulawesi, communities affected by a 2023 earthquake are using these maps to better understand the characteristics of the land they were relocated to. One resident, Nurdiah, who had previously migrated to East Kalimantan to work on a palm oil plantation, says, “If I had known there were plantations here, I could have worked as a labourer nearby instead.” She has now returned to the land where she and her family were relocated and cultivates candlenut, patchouli, cassava, corn and vegetables.

In Jambi and Riau in Sumatra, and around Dewata and Bantimurung Bulusaraung national parks in South Sulawesi, more accurate maps are helping communities understand land use patterns and forest conditions. In Riau, such maps could also empower landowners to challenge palm oil plantation companies that claim overlapping areas, as current disputes persist partly because only company-issued maps are available.  

“Without accurate maps, we cannot provide meaningful support to communities in addressing land issues,” says Nurul Qomar, S Hut, MP, PhD, head of the Forestry Department at Riau University.  

We have been partnering with Riau University and Hasanuddin University since May 2024 as part of the Indonesian Ministry of Education’s Independent Learning Campus programme. Together, we are training students in image interpretation, field validation, socio-economic surveys and geospatial data preparation.  

“By building both data and capacity, the Lacuna project is laying the groundwork for better informed, more equitable land management,” says Qomar. These efforts are aligned with RECOFTC’s larger commitment to strengthen local capacities and innovation for inclusive, sustainable land management.