April, 2026
Sangga Health
Strengthening Community and Ecosystem Health
Strengthening Nutrition and Livelihoods in a Biodiverse Landscape
In biodiverse and multicultural landscapes such as Bentarum, communities rely on a range of customary practices in forest use, hunting and gathering practices, as well as livestock management, to meet their daily and nutritional needs. These practices are closely linked to broader dynamics, including household access to protein, hunting, livestock ownership, zoonotic disease risks, and cultural values associated with wildlife and livestock.
To better understand these interconnections, Sangga Bumi Lestari launched the Sangga Health Programme in May 2025. As an initial step, a baseline survey was conducted across 14 villages in the Bentarum landscape. The survey aimed to assess the relationships between environmental conditions and human health, with a particular focus on consumption patterns, hunting and gathering practices, and agricultural activities. The survey instrument was developed in collaboration with the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent, ensuring a rigorous and interdisciplinary approach.
As of March 2026, survey findings have helped identify a key priority: the need to strengthen access to reliable and sustainable sources of domestic protein. This insight has informed the direction of the Sangga Health Programme and its integration with local development priorities.
To support implementation, Sangga Bumi Lestari is working closely with local government agencies, including the Regency Development Planning, Research and Development Agency (Baperida) of Kapuas Hulu, the Department of Agriculture and Food Security (Dinas Pertanian dan Pangan), Department of Social Affairs (Dinas Sosial), and the Department of Community and Village Empowerment (Dinas Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Desa), as well as the Programme for Rural Community Development and Empowerment (Program Pembangunan dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Desa) to increase domestic protein sources through training in WASH protocols, zoonotic disease prevention, and producing livestock feed from local sources.
A close collaboration is also underway with the Department of Health (Dinas Kesehatan) of Kapuas Hulu and local community health (Puskesmas) to strengthen community health and nutrition systems by building capacity, enhancing maternal support, institutionalising services in village budgets, and establishing data-driven monitoring of health and consumption.
