About 55 % of global GDP is moderately or heavily dependent on nature, yet the world is facing a global biodiversity loss crisis. This problem is further fueled by a widening nature financing gap. Nature financing is gaining popularity, but large project developers may find themselves tied up with ambiguous land rights and complex community structures.

Bintan Resilient Horizons seeks to address these issues by developing small-scale, locally-owned nature restoration projects together with local communities. These blueprints for sustainable development are made into value propositions, then set up to be self-financing or attractive to external funders, therefore benefiting both nature and the communities that rely on it. Value creations would address multiple societal challenges faced by its inhabitants, such as improved aquaculture yield, better flood protection, supporting eco-tourism etc.

In phase 1 of the project (2025), we obtained letters of support from several interested villages around Bintan. Concurrently, we developed two frameworks: one for building an attractive business case and another for sustainable development. Through workshops, we used these two frameworks to arrive at the best suited sites for the programme.

We are currently in phase 2, where value creations and concept designs for nature-based solutions are being developed for one chosen site.

In phase 3, the value creation(s) and nature-based solution(s) will be implemented and monitored.

This programme is initiated by Witteveen+Bos and funded by the Dutch government (Netherlands Enterprise Agency). Also in the project team are members of EcoShape, Safe Water Gardens, Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji (UMRAH).