Dear Readers,

We hope you are keeping well amid the recent unpredictable weather and frequent heavy rains.

Speaking of health, we recently conducted a study to support the Government of Kota Bogor in setting priorities for its health agenda. The findings will be translated into an annual action plan to ensure that interventions can be mapped and implemented more strategically. This assistance is part of our broader technical support to national and local governments, as well as organizations and businesses across sectors.

In this edition, I also recommend a book published by the Asian Development Bank that brings together insights from leading academics on the challenges of achieving the Golden Indonesia Vision 2045. Two of SMERU's senior research fellows, Asep Suryahadi and Sudarno Sumarto, contributed to the section on human development and welfare.

We also share a Mongabay article on the Cantonal Court of Zug, Switzerland, accepting the Pari Island fishers' climate lawsuit. Together with Greenpeace Indonesia, we published a Pari Island case study highlighting how the island faces climate and environmental crises driven by exploitative development and weak regulation. 

Finally, I would like to wish our Muslim readers a blessed Ramadan. May we be granted ease, and may all our acts of worship be accepted by Allah (SWT). 

As always, we welcome your feedback at comms[at]smeru.or.id.

Widjajanti Isdijoso
Director, The SMERU Research Institute