Data Democratization for Sustainable Landscapes: Epistem Launches Luma for Collaborative Land Mapping

Held to coincide with Indonesia’s National Awakening Day, the workshop was organized under the theme “Data Democratization for Sustainable Landscapes: Mapathon Gotong Royong for Collaborative Land Use and Land Cover Mapping.” It brought together practitioners, government agencies, and local communities to advance a shared vision of collaborative and accessible land use mapping. The event introduced Luma, initiated the development of a national land use and land cover mapping network, and facilitated dialogue on shared goals, methodologies, and contributions to support Indonesia’s climate action agenda. 

Luma is developed through a strategic collaboration between the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Landscape Alliance (CIFOR-ICRAF) Indonesia, and the World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia. The initiative is grounded in the principle that effective nature-based climate solutions require practical and inclusive mapping tools that strengthen connections among stakeholders managing and interacting with landscapes. 

In his keynote address, Head of the Research Organization for Life Sciences and Environment at BRIN, Andes Hamuraby Rozak, emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making: “Our current challenge is not merely to protect our landscapes, but to ensure that our decisions are based on accurate, transparent, and reliable knowledge. We cannot protect what we cannot see, and we cannot make good decisions without good data.” 

“Landscape conservation requires map data rich in contextual information, yet technical constraints and high production costs have long posed challenges,” said Ping Yowargana, Senior Research Scholar at IIASA. “Luma is expected to help overcome these barriers.” 

Herlan Kagami of the South Sumatra Plantation Office said Luma gives his team new hope to strengthen spatial data capacity, noting that plantation institutions often still rely heavily on tabular data while spatial datasets remain limited. He explained that spatial evidence can help validate claims about commodities such as coffee, for example by showing where robusta coffee areas in Pagar Alam fall outside forest zones. 

Norman Riwu Kaho, Lecturer at Universitas Nusa Cendana, echoed the importance of accessible tools, saying: “Technology plus local context equals accuracy. And that is only possible when local context is integrated into the technology itself. Luma helps bridge that gap, making spatial analysis more inclusive and usable even on lower-specification laptops.” 

Luma has already been piloted in South Sumatra and introduced to communities of practice in South Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara. With support from BRIN and regional partners, Epistem is fostering an innovation ecosystem that combines an online participatory mapping platform, open-source methodologies and reference data, and a mapathon approach to land use and land cover analysis. 

This approach draws on global best practices to enable collaborative mapping that addresses diverse thematic needs while producing timely and reliable data. It is expected to contribute to Indonesia’s commitments under its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the FOLU Net Sink 2030 strategy, supporting a balance between carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and community livelihoods. 

The hybrid workshop brought together 287 participants, both in person and online, and featured sessions on participatory landscape management, the principles behind Epistem’s technology development, a live demonstration of Luma, and discussions on implementing a national mapathon. The event also showcased practical experiences from communities that have already applied Luma in local mapping initiatives. 

Beyond the platform launch, the workshop served as a forum to gather user feedback and refine Luma’s design to ensure relevance across diverse contexts. Participants also explored modular mapping approaches and the importance of shared reference data as a foundation for scalable and collaborative landscape monitoring. 

Through the launch of Luma and a series of upcoming national mapathons, Epistem aims to strengthen a growing movement for participatory mapping across Indonesia and to connect stakeholders committed to safeguarding the country’s landscapes for future generations.