NORTH LOMBOK, Indonesia — Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden praised the indigenous environmental governance of the Karang Bajo Customary Village on Sunday, September 6, 2026, highlighting centuries-old community stewardship models in Bayan District as crucial frameworks for global climate resilience and watershed protection.
Visiting North Lombok in her capacity as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Swedish Crown Princess was accompanied by West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal. The visit focused on community-managed forestry, traditional conservation laws, and the preservation of vital water resources.
During her field inspection, Crown Princess Victoria visited the Mandala Spring conservation zone, participated in a ceremonial tree-planting initiative, and held a dialog with customary elders (kasepuhan).
The Karang Bajo indigenous community governs environmental protection through traditional philosophical codes that treat nature as a sacred entity requiring strict communal guardianship. This framework regulates land use, prohibits unauthorized tree felling, and protects high-altitude spring networks that supply freshwater across northern Lombok.
”The way the Bayan customary community preserves its ancestral philosophy of environmental respect offers valuable insights for international sustainable development models,” Crown Princess Victoria noted during the delegation’s tour.
Governor Iqbal affirmed that the provincial government will continue integrating indigenous customary practices (awig-awig) into regional environmental policies to safeguard NTB’s critical ecosystems against climate vulnerability and resource degradation.
