Monique Toubia, a recent graduate of SNRE, participated in a three month long internship with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 

She was based at the WWF - Indonesia head office in Jakarta, with a fieldwork component on the nearby impoverished and water scare island of Lombok.  Moniqueí¢â‚¬â„¢s primary task was to assess the perceptions and expectations of a community and other diverse stakeholders participating in a three-year-old Payment for Environmental Services (PES) project in Lombok.  She addressed this task in three ways.  She first conducted a global literature review on PES and its ability to address issues poverty, global warming and water scarcity through policy advocacy in all levels of government.  The focus of this research was inspired from an initial review of existing reports and data from the Lombok PES project.  After which, she traveled to the island of Lombok to conduct in depth interviews with institutional and community stakeholders involved with the project.  The final products are a report on water management options based on relevant global literature and current WWF projects, a case study and assessment of the Lombok PES project, a presentation to the Lombok and Jakarta offices and a set of recommendations for WWF on how to proceed with the expansion of its national programs on fresh water and global warming as they relate to community empowerment and the role PES can play.

Detailed work description

Generally this task consisted of three components:
í¢â‚¬ ¢ Literature review conducted on PES, water management and scarcity to gain a better understanding of what local and global experts in these fields have to say. The purpose was to compare what I learned in the field to what is being done and suggested worldwide for water management as it relates to poverty, scarcity, global climate change and the community empowerment agenda set by WWF. The deliverable for this component was an informative summary of the literature review and relevant management options to enhance what is already being done by WWF and what could be done regarding PES and other potential fresh water/global warming programs.
í¢â‚¬ ¢ Conducted a field visit to the island of Lombok to gather information on the social, cultural, and economic perceptions and expectations on water use of the local communities involved in the existing PES project (the sellers). While in the field it was also important to gain an understanding of the challenges and strategies of the institutional process involved in the project and other water/forest conservation programs in the area. As a result, I interviewed the local WWF staff, NGOí¢â‚¬â„¢s, Community Based Organizations, independent payment management organization, local government officials and a consumer organization. Two different sets of interview questions were created for the community members and institutional stakeholders. The deliverable for this component was a summary of the findings, with a connection made to the literature review in section one. A short summary of where the project stands now was also included in this section (the intent was to update what has already been written on the project and internally inform WWF staff in the main and other field offices).
í¢â‚¬ ¢ Provided recommendations and management options for the Lombok project specifically, but more so for Indonesia broadly in light of the potential for creating a WWF fresh water campaign (as resources become more scarce due to increasing demand and climate change) and to enhance existing relevant projects.
í¢â‚¬ ¢ Presented findings to the Lombok office staff and then traveled back to Jakarta to present to a team at the head office. In both cases, time was allotted at the end for clarifications and discussion. Staff provided me with suggestions on how to revised and finalize the first drafts of the reports to better suit WWFí¢â‚¬â„¢s priorities and information gaps.

Professional and personal development

Professionally, I gained a better understanding of the relationship between water management, community empowerment and PES projects through intensive research. Throughout this research I also learned about the role that local and national policies could play in the success of certain programs like PES. Learning about and being involved with PES projects is particularly beneficial, as it is becoming an increasingly popular tool for project managers worldwide, but more so recently in developing countries to promote poverty alleviation through the protection of environmental services that they closely depend on and rewards that enhance their daily livelihoods. I can now say that I have had experience with this type of project when applying for relevant positions. During my fieldwork component, I learned about the intense process of working with existing institutional stakeholders and the need to create additional institutions to fills gaps in the process. Again, while in the field, I saw the need for local regulation to help guarantee the sustainability of the environmental protection rewards system and how long this took to negotiate and establish. Ultimately, having experiences in another office setting is always beneficial for witnessing how different organizations internally function and how to get important things accomplished within its limitations and political boundaries. Furthermore, I have this perspective from another country, which is especially useful if I want to continue working overseas or in domestic organizations with an international focus. Essentially this entire internship spoke directly to my future career interests.

I gained from this experience personally in many ways. Admittedly, there were some factors that made my time in Indonesia very challenging in addition to those that naturally exist when one moves to another country. These challenges forced me to assess myself in terms of what I wanted in a career and if I really wanted to work overseas. I have had a handful of work experiences overseas, but this time I finally realized that for me to be of any use in developing countries I need to have a skill set that is not available or lacking among the local professionals. As a result, I have decided that I would like to work in my home country for a few years to gain solid professional experience and perfect a particular set of skills before applying for work overseas again. Moreover, I realized the value of working in a region that I like and feel comfortable in. Jakarta is a fine place in many respects, but it is not a place that one should move for a temporary independent internship. My discomfort there impacted my productivity in some ways. This realization has affected my current full time job search because now I make sure that the location of the position is a place that I can call home.

This internship reaffirmed my passion for working in the field of environmental justice. I must continue to work in organizations that make the alleviation of poverty and wise and equal distribution of resources one of their priorities. I have been an advocate for marginalized populations for years now and I will continue to do that professionally. As I prepare for the next stage in my life, I will make sure that my new career is something that I can learn and grow from, speaks to my passions for equality and is located in a place that makes me happy thanks to what I have learned during my time at WWF.

Internship Details