Farwiza Farhan

Farwiza Farhan is a leading forest conservationist and inclusion advocate who’s working to protect one of the world’s most rare and critically endangered ecosystems. Indonesia’s Leuser ecosystem in Sumatra is the last place on Earth where elephants, tigers, rhinos and orangutans still coexist. It’s also under severe threat from illegal palm oil expansion, logging and poaching. As chairperson of the grassroots Forest, Nature and Environment of Aceh (HAkA), Farwiza is defending this irreplaceable landscape and the life-sustaining services it provides the people and wildlife that inhabit it. Trained in conservation and cultural anthropology, her passion is restoring people’s rights and relationship with the land. Farwiza advocates specifically for the greater inclusion of women, indigenous leaders and local experts in environmental protection, pushing for meaningful collaboration and respect for local knowledge. From supporting community-based conservation and livelihood initiatives to achieving a landmark victory in court against a destructive palm oil company, Farwiza works tirelessly to ensure locals have a say in shaping policy that protects, conserves and restores the Leuser ecosystem.

Farwiza Farhan is a leading forest conservationist and inclusion advocate who’s working to protect one of the world’s most rare and critically endangered ecosystems.