STUDY ON THE IMPACTS OF LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGE IN NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR (NTT)
RESEARCH AND ANALYTICS
Wildlife Conservation Society
Nature & Wildlife Conservation
Study and Research - Climate Risk and Resilience
Background
Since 2016, the Rote Island snake-necked turtle (Chelodina mccordi), once thought extinct in the wild due to illegal trade, has been the focus of a reintroduction program on Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara. BBKSDA NTT, WCS-IP, and WRS have worked together to repatriate turtles from abroad and build holding facilities before releasing them into Lakes Ledulu, Peto, and Lendoen. Climate change, however, threatens the program’s long-term success by disrupting lake ecosystems and local livelihoods. Using the Social-Ecological Systems framework, i-Hi Consulting assessed localized climate impacts on crops, community well-being, gendered effects, lake ecosystems, water access, and ecotourism potential, while developing practical community-driven adaptation strategies.
Objectives
To assess the impacts of local climate change on the social-ecological system of the Rote Island snake-necked turtle habitat, while formulating community-based adaptation strategies to support conservation and local climate resilience in NTT.


