Indonesian eco-warrior Sadiman was once called crazy by fellow villagers because they didn’t believe in his mission. That didn’t’ stop him! After 24 years of effort, Sadiman has turned barren hills green. As a result, water resources are now available in the drought-prone mountainous valley where he calls home.
Known as ‘mbah’ or ‘grandpa,’ the 69-year-old has worked persistently to plant trees in the hills after fires to clear the land for agriculture nearly dried up its lakes and rivers.
Sadiman said:
I thought to myself, if I don’t plant banyan trees, this area will become dry. In my experience, banyan trees and ficus trees can store a lot of water.
Sadiman has planted at least 11,000 banyans and ficus trees in central Java’s hills (over 250 hectares or 617 acres). Their long and extensive roots help to retain groundwater and prevent land erosion. This has led to springs forming where once there was dry land. Water from these springs is piped to homes and used to water farms.
When he first started planting trees, few village residents appreciated his hard work. “People ridiculed me for bringing banyan tree seeds to the village because they felt uneasy as they believed there are spirits in these trees,” Sadiman recalled.
One villager named Warto said that some people thought he was crazy because he even traded saplings for the goats he raised.
Warto commended:
In the past, people thought he was crazy, but look at the result now. He is able to provide clean water to meet the needs of the people in several villages.
Sadiman earns some income to fund his work through a nursery of plants, including jackfruit and cloves that he sells or trades. Before he planted all these trees, the area’s lack of rain had once limited local farmers to a single harvest per year. Now, the abundant water source guarantees two or three harvests a year.
Sadiman added:
I hope the people here can have prosperous lives and live happily. And don’t burn the forest over and over again.
In 2019, scientists from Germany’s University of Hohenheim found that large-scale reforestation could slow global rising temperatures and change atmospheric circulation, bringing more rain. It seems ‘mbah’ had already figured this out a long time ago.
