We are honoured to announce Riezdqhy (Melin) Al Husna from Indonesia, as a finalist for the 2025 Wedu Women’s Leadership Awards in the Earth Advocate Award category.

Melin’s leadership is rooted in place-based conservation and community-led solutions. By combining geospatial technology with local ecological knowledge, she co-develops conservation plans that not only identify environmental risks but also enable, or equip, or strengthen Indigenous and rural communities to lead sustainable practices. Working with communities in Sulawesi and Kalimantan, she has helped revive traditional agroforestry systems through participatory mapping, boosting biodiversity, soil health, and climate resilience.

Her approach is deeply participatory—merging science with tradition. In Sulawesi, she led a study on agroforestry systems that documented how shifting climate patterns disrupted harvest cycles. By integrating hydrology data with farmer insights, she co-created adaptation roadmaps that significantly reduced crop losses. In Kalimantan, her work tracing pollution sources in peatlands and rivers informed targeted education programmes, reducing contamination risks while strengthening local stewardship.

Connection to the Earth Advocate Award

Melin’s innovations translate research into policies and practices with lasting impact. Her geospatial hazard models have influenced zoning policies that safeguard watersheds and heritage sites, and she co-drafted conservation regulations—five of which were formally adopted by the Wonosobo government in Java. In East Kalimantan, her peatland work mobilised community-led fire monitoring groups, reducing incidents in pilot areas and building grassroots ownership of climate resilience.

Her teaching role at Universitas Mulawarman ensures these frameworks reach future leaders: she has integrated community-based conservation into courses ranging from climatology to disaster risk reduction, equipping students with tools to link academic knowledge with local action.

Mobilising Change

Melin is a natural bridge-builder, linking communities, policymakers, and academia to create solutions that reflect lived realities. She has mobilised farmers, NGOs, and national park authorities to restore degraded lands through agroforestry and native tree conservation. Through the Climate Village Programme, she supported women’s groups to lead eco-print workshops, turning local plants into sustainable livelihoods while reducing chemical use.

Her commitment to amplifying local voices has ensured that Indigenous knowledge and rural perspectives shape not only conservation practices but also regional climate policies. In doing so, she demonstrates that environmental stewardship thrives when communities are at the heart of decision-making.

Why Melin Stands Out

Melin leads with vision, inclusivity, and respect for tradition. Her work shows how science and Indigenous knowledge, when woven together, can transform conservation into a movement that restores ecosystems, empowers communities, and inspires future leaders.

Connect with Melin on LinkedIn

RSVP to take part in the celebrations!

On September 30 we will announce the awardees of the four Wedu Women’s Leadership Awards at our digital celebration taking place at 6PM ICT. RSVP to join us