Green Talents Moment: Meet Kesuma Anugerah Yanti, Founder of Borneo Urban Lab

In the drive toward sustainable urban futures, few practitioners embody the nexus of high-level policy and grassroots impact like Kesuma Anugerah Yanti. As the Founder of Borneo Urban Lab, Yanti is a vital force ensuring that climate adaptation strategies not only mitigate risk but actively empower marginalized communities in Indonesian cities.

While Yanti is a respected consultant for major international climate projects, her vision comes most vividly to life through Borneo Urban Lab. This women-led NGO has become a vital platform for translating complex urban concepts into inclusive, on-the-ground action.

Building Resilience from the Ground Up: The Borneo Urban Lab

Founded in Banjarmasin, Borneo Urban Lab operates on three core pillars: Urban Inclusivity, Urban Environment, and Urban Youth. Yanti established the Lab to prove that sustainable development goals (SDGs) are achievable only when the community is actively designing the solution.

Through the Lab, Yanti champions a participatory approach—using methods like "transect walks" to map neighborhood assets and "photo voice" to let residents document their own environmental dreams.

Some notable projects of the Lab:

• Championing Inclusivity (M-BILITY Project): A collaborative initiative to support and empower persons with disabilities by providing skills training in making baked goods, including training in product creation and marketing.

  
  

• Revitalizing the Environment (Urban Lotus & ProKlim): The Urban Lotus project engaged riverbank communities in waste segregation and "green kampung" activities. Similarly, the Climate-Village (ProKlim) program trained women to transform plastic waste into valuable goods—such as wallets and ecobrick chairs—while introducing hydroponic systems for household food security.

  
  

• Preserving Culture (ECOSALAM): The ECOSALAM (Eco-print Sasirangan with Natural Dyes) project in Tiwingan Lama Village trained homemakers to create traditional Sasirangan textiles using natural dyes (eco-print), which boosts local tourism entrepreneurship. 

These initiatives, strengthened by partnerships with organizations like the Australia Awards Indonesia and the Banjarmasin City Government, exemplify Yanti’s belief that true resilience starts with empowering the people most affected by environmental challenges.

Technical Leadership: Bridging Data and Decision-Making

Another core focus of Yanti’s career has been providing technical leadership on complex urban sustainability projects. Her tenure with United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) saw her leading technical assistance for the Climate-Resilient and Inclusive Cities (CRIC) Project. In cities like Samarinda and Bandar Lampung, she was instrumental in integrating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission calculations and vulnerability analysis into local policy. 

Currently, as City Coordinator for a Climate-Resilient Project in Samarinda with Kota Kita Foundation, Yanti is helping pioneer an AI-powered platform to support climate disaster resilience planning. Her work is directly responsible for integrating climate, geospatial, and socio-economic data to generate critical insights for local decision-makers.

A Unified Vision for the Future

Kesuma Anugerah Yanti's unique expertise—combining spatial planning, data analysis, and deep community engagement—bridges the crucial gap between high-level urban governance and on-the-ground adaptation needs. She is not only helping Indonesian cities develop sophisticated climate action plans but is also actively working to ensure that sustainable growth is both inclusive and resilient for future generations. 

We thank Yanti for sharing her indispensable insights and expertise with the "Green Talents Moment" series.

To learn more about her community-led initiatives, please visit the Borneo Urban Lab website.