From Tradition to Action: The Potential of Community Empowerment Through Local Wisdom for Sustainable Environmental Protection Practices

Local wisdom is the values, norms, and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation in a community group. This research aims to explore the potential for community empowerment through local wisdom values in the context of protection environmental practices in the community of Lawang Agung Village, South Sumatra, Indonesia. This research uses a qualitative approach with case study analysis techniques. Data collection was carried out by conducting systematic observations and in-depth interviews with participants and supported by documentary data to strengthen the results of research analysis. The informants in this study totalled 8 people consisting of 2 community leaders, 2 traditional leaders, and 4 people who play an active role in various cultural activities in the research locus area and have participated in cultural and environmental communities for more than 5 years. All research data were collected and reduced within the research boundaries so that the research results could be presented in accordance with the research objectives. The research analysis will be interpreted to develop a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under study. The research results show several things including: (1) Lawang Agung Village has a long history of practicing local wisdom and using natural resources wisely. (2) The spirit of gotong royong (mutual cooperation) and community cohesiveness is starting to fade due to the impact of individualism and modernization, shifting collective priorities to achieve personal gain. (3) The potential for empowerment for environmental conservation practices can be optimized with the stages of identifying empowerment potential, planning and organizing, implementing, and disseminating results/experiences. (4) Integration of spiritual values is also an important step in strengthening the transformation of local wisdom values into concrete actions in sustainable environmental conservation practices. The implication of the findings of this research is the exploration of various potentials of local wisdom values to strengthen environmentally wise behavior by integrating them in people's daily lives. This research also contributes to the strengthening of the theory and practice of environmental empowerment that prioritizes the local wisdom of the community.