Forest Watch Indonesia

What Forest Watch Indonesia does

Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI), legally Perkumpulan Forest Watch Indonesia, is an independent nonprofit civil society organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Bogor, West Java. It monitors forest conditions across Indonesia through satellite imagery analysis, ground-truthing, field investigations, and spatial data analysis, and publishes the Potret Keadaan Hutan Indonesia research series documenting deforestation rates. Its core digital products include an interactive online forest map (Peta Hutan at petahutan.fwi.or.id), a digital research library (Perpustakaan Online), and an educational platform (Kelas Hutan), alongside programs such as the Environmental Citizen Journalism Program (ECJP) co-developed with Mongabay Indonesia and the LIFE gender-and-inclusion training program with 12 partner CSOs.

FWI operates a community-led and event-driven go-to-market model: it engages indigenous and local communities in monitoring, runs citizen journalism fellowships, convenes seminars and exhibitions, and drives hashtag campaigns (#SudahCukup, #TimurIndonesia, #TransisiEnergiWatch, #IKNWatch). It does not accept funding from government, private companies, or political parties, relying instead on individual donations (tiered at Rp50,000 / Rp200,000 / Rp400,000), merchandise sales (Rp120,000 t-shirts), and volunteer/intern contributions. Its customers, in a nonprofit sense, are indigenous and local communities facing deforestation, journalists covering environmental issues, government policymakers needing transparent forest data, and partner civil-society organizations.

The organization serves 11 Indonesian regions (Aceh, West Java, West/East Kalimantan, Gorontalo, Maluku, North Maluku, Aru Islands, Papua, West Papua, Merauke), participates in coalitions including Koalisi Transisi Bersih and Koalisi Reset Kehutanan, and has built international advocacy ties with Biofuelwatch and the Global Forest Coalition. In 2025 it received the PPATK NGO Appreciation Award for its Follow The Money approach to green financial crime.

Name

Forest Watch Indonesia

Legal name

Perkumpulan Forest Watch Indonesia

Website

https://fwi.or.id

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forest Watch Indonesia is an independent nonprofit founded in 1997 that monitors Indonesian forest conditions via satellite imagery and field investigations, publishing open data, research, and advocacy on forest management for indigenous communities, journalists, policymakers, and partner NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and Forest Monitoring Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forest Inventory, Mapping & Monitoring (GIS/Remote Sensing/MRV) (IMAMAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland GIS, Remote Sensing & Data Analytics (AFAMAKAG), Natural Resource Inventory & Forest/Woodland Assessments (Timber, Vegetation, Invasives) (EUAHAHAG), Forest Health Surveys & Risk Assessment (Tree Hazard, Mortality) (AFAMAEAI)

Keywords

• Forest monitoring
• Environmental advocacy
• Deforestation tracking
• Forest conservation
• Citizen journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Bekasi Kota

HQ country

Indonesia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individual Donors: FWI relies on donations from individual supporters to fund investigations, campaigns, documentation, and lobbying activities. They maintain independence by not accepting funding from government, private companies, or political parties.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise such as 'Kaos Mencintai Hutan' (Love the Forest t-shirts) at Rp120,000 as part of fundraising efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Forest Watch Indonesia independently monitors the condition of Indonesian forests by combining satellite imagery analysis with on-the-ground field investigations, and produces open-access data, research reports, and advocacy campaigns on forest management. The organization distributes its work through digital tools (Peta Hutan forest map, Perpustakaan Online digital library, Kelas Hutan educational platform), the Potret Keadaan Hutan Indonesia publication series, journalist fellowships (ECJP), and the LIFE training program for civil society organizations.

Product overview

Forest Watch Indonesia operates as an environmental monitoring organization offering a suite of digital tools and programs focused on Indonesian forest conservation. The core digital offerings include Peta Hutan (Forest Map) for interactive forest monitoring visualization, Perpustakaan Online (Online Library) for research documentation, and Kelas Hutan (Forest Class) for educational content. The organization also produces research publications like the Potret Keadaan Hutan Indonesia series and runs programs such as the Environmental Citizen Journalism Program. These products work together to support forest monitoring, advocacy campaigns, and public education on Indonesian forestry issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peta Hutan (Forest Map) Interactive online map tool for monitoring and visualizing Indonesian forest conditions, deforestation alerts, and forest cover data across different regions. Designed for civil society organizations, researchers, journalists, government policy makers, and the general public seeking transparent forest data.
• Perpustakaan Online (Online Library) Digital repository of FWI research publications, reports, and documentation on Indonesian forestry, deforestation studies, and environmental policies. Designed for researchers, journalists, civil society, and policy makers.
• Kelas Hutan (Forest Class) Educational platform providing learning resources and training materials about forest conservation, sustainable forest management, and environmental advocacy. Designed for students, civil society, and the general public seeking capacity building on forestry topics.
• Potret Keadaan Hutan Indonesia Comprehensive research publication series documenting the state of Indonesian forests across different periods, including deforestation rates and forest management analysis. Targeted at policy makers, civil society, researchers, and journalists.
• Environmental Citizen Journalism Program (ECJP) Training and fellowship program in collaboration with Mongabay Indonesia that empowers citizen journalists to report on forest and environmental issues. Designed for journalists and citizen reporters covering environmental beats.
• LIFE Program (Lingkar Studi Feminisme dan Ekologi) Capacity-building learning circle on gender equality and social inclusion in forest advocacy, delivered to civil society organizations including HuMA, Gemawan, PATTIRO, Papua Study Center, Econusa, IRE Yogyakarta, Perempuan Penyala, Yayasan Citra Mandiri Mentawai, Ruang Baca Puan, Rumah Sastra Arafura, Perempuan Peduli Leuser, and Wahana Riset Indonesia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Monitored and reported on deforestation rates increasing from 777,000 hectares in 2024 to 1.01 million hectares in 2025 (highest in five years)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mongabay IndonesiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2023Joint implementation of Environmental Citizen Journalism Program (ECJP), a collaborative initiative to increase public participation in disseminating information about Indonesian forest and environmental conditions. FWI and Mongabay co-develop fellowship programs for journalists to conduct in-depth reporting on deforestation and forest-related issues.
• Fakawele (Save Sagea Movement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community organization focused on environmental preservation and cultural advocacy, working to raise awareness about Karst Sagea ecosystem protection and strengthen community capacity in environmental monitoring in Eastern Indonesia.
• BiofuelwatchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational environmental organization leading advocacy against biofuel as decarbonization pathway for shipping. Joint advocacy at International Maritime Organization (IMO) negotiations to reject biofuels as green solutions.
• Global Forest CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of civil society organizations working on forests and climate issues. Joint advocacy efforts against biofuel expansion and deforestation linked to energy transition projects.
• Koalisi Transisi Bersih (Clean Transition Coalition)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of environmental organizations including Forest Watch Indonesia, Greenpeace Indonesia, Satya Bumi, Sawit Watch, Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit, Trend Asia, and WALHI advocating against B50 biofuel policy that could trigger deforestation.
• Koalisi Reset Kehutanan (Forestry Reset Coalition)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition advocating for fundamental reform of Indonesia's forestry law. Includes organizations from Sumatra region demanding replacement of UU Kehutanan 1999 with new legislation prioritizing ecosystem restoration, indigenous rights, and tenurial conflict resolution.
• LIFE Partner Organizations (HuMA, Gemawan, PATTIRO, Papua Study Center, Econusa, IRE Yogyakarta, Perempuan Penyala, Yayasan Citra Mandiri Mentawai, Ruang Baca Puan, Rumah Sastra Arafura, Perempuan Peduli Leuser, Wahana Riset Indonesia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society organizations participating in Lingkar Studi Feminisme dan Ekologi (LIFE) program, a learning circle on gender equality and social inclusion in forest advocacy. Organizations from various regions working on environmental and indigenous rights issues.
• Environmental Governance Institute (EGI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in FWI's supporting institutions section
• Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesia's largest indigenous peoples alliance with 2,645 indigenous communities. FWI collaborates on indigenous rights and forest protection advocacy, with joint activities on indigenous forest management and carbon allocation.
• Rezim Sumber Daya (RdR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in FWI's supporting institutions section

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tropenbos Indonesia: Indonesian forest-research and capacity-building NGO producing evidence-based studies on tropical forest management. Comparable to FWI in research products, GIS/mapping work, and donor constituency, though less advocacy-driven.
• Mongabay Indonesia: Indonesian environmental journalism platform co-running the Environmental Citizen Journalism Program with FWI. Both organizations publish investigative reporting on deforestation, indigenous rights, and natural-resource governance, making them close operational peers in audience, mission, and product.
• WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia): Indonesia's largest environmental umbrella NGO, active in deforestation litigation, policy advocacy, and grassroots organizing. Highly comparable to FWI in mission, advocacy tools, and coalition membership (e.g., Koalisi Transisi Bersih).
• Sawit Watch: Indonesian NGO monitoring the palm oil sector and its deforestation impacts. Operates in the same forest-policy domain as FWI and is a co-member of Koalisi Transisi Bersih.
• Trend Asia: Indonesian environmental policy think tank focused on energy transition, sustainable finance, and natural-resource governance. FWI's partner in Koalisi Transisi Bersih and aligned on biofuel/B50 advocacy.
• Global Forest Coalition: International network of civil-society organizations focused on forest protection and climate issues. FWI is an active partner; both share mission, advocacy style, and donor base in the anti-biofuel and forestry-law-reform space.
• Satya Bumi: Indonesian environmental NGO focused on sustainable commodities, indigenous rights, and forest protection. Co-member of Koalisi Transisi Bersih and operates in the same advocacy space as FWI.
• Greenpeace Indonesia: Campaign-focused environmental organization running forest, climate, and energy-transition advocacy in Indonesia. Shares FWI's coalition partnerships (Koalisi Transisi Bersih) and audience of policy-makers, journalists, and donors.

Broad incumbents

• Mongabay (Global): Global environmental journalism platform whose Indonesia branch partners with FWI. Comparable product (data-driven environmental reporting) and overlapping audience, but operates at broader international scale.
• Amnesty International Indonesia: Large international human-rights organization with a country office in Indonesia that addresses indigenous rights and land conflicts. Operates more broadly than FWI but overlaps on indigenous community advocacy related to forest territories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/fwindonesia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/forestwatchindonesia
• Facebookfacebook.com/fwi.or.id
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-watch-indonesia
• Instagraminstagram.com/fwi.or.id

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forest Watch Indonesia