When Climate Change Hits Our Project: Rebuilding the Ranger Station on Mataha

Climate change is no longer just an abstract global issue — it’s already having very tangible effects in our projects. On Mataha, a nesting island in the Berau district, this becomes particularly visible: in recent years, beach erosion has increased so dramatically that our ranger station, built in 2007, now stands dangerously close to the water. What was once considered a stable location, roughly 20 meters from the high-tide line, is now at risk of being literally swallowed by the sea.

To ensure that our rangers can continue their vital work and that sea turtles remain protected, we have decided to relocate and rebuild the station further inland. This necessary step clearly demonstrates how tangible the consequences of climate change have already become — and how flexibly and dedicatedly we must act to safeguard our conservation projects for the long term.

While the world’s oceans act as a natural buffer for our climate by absorbing heat and CO₂, slowing the warming process, this buffer is limited. The effects of climate change are already visible — from massive coral die-offs to rising sea levels, which now threaten our Mataha station.

Looking at the bigger picture makes the urgency even clearer: ten years ago, the member states of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change committed in the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C. By now, it is evident that this goal is becoming increasingly unattainable. It is therefore more important than ever to adapt to new conditions and take targeted action to protect sea turtles and their habitats.

Green Sea Turtle hatchling on the beach

Extreme rainfall events in Southeast Asia, which caused landslides and floods at the end of November — leading to massive destruction and over 1,000 fatalities in Sumatra alone — are also a consequence of climate change. Fortunately, our projects in Sumatra were not directly affected by this unexpected heavy rain, but the risk of such natural disasters continues to rise with global warming.

Would you like to support the rebuilding of the ranger station on Mataha? Every donation and sponsorship makes a difference — because only together can we ensure a future for sea turtles.