Harley Fatahillah Yodhaloka Sunoto
2026 Eco-Hero
1st PLACE
Harley Fatahillah Yodhaloka Sunoto
Age 14
Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
Mangrove Warrior: Youth-Led Coastal Restoration and Community Empowerment
At 14 years old, Harley Fatahillah Yodhaloka Sunoto is a formidable force in coastal ecology and climate resilience. Disturbed by reports of widespread forest loss and coastal degradation across Indonesia, Harley recognized that the degrading coastlines of Surabaya left low-income fishing families defenseless against extreme weather and severe tidal flooding. Refusing to stay passive, he founded "Mangrove Warrior" in mid-2025. Today, his youth-led environmental movement actively restores vital blue carbon ecosystems, merging rigorous field science with community-driven economic empowerment.
Harley’s project stands out for its exceptional technical and ecological precision. Rather than conducting symbolic tree-planting events, he established a sophisticated nursery system, learning directly from experienced local pond farmers to understand tidal patterns and soil conditions. Harley has successfully cultivated, planted, monitored and replanted more than 31,000 mangrove seedlings across degraded coastal zones like Wonorejo, Gunung Anyar and Keputih. To maximize shoreline protection and carbon absorption, he scientifically matches specific species, including Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera Gymnorhiza, Avicennia marina, Sonneratia caseolaris and Ceriops Zippeliana, to their ideal muddy substrates. Backed by his school network at SMP Negeri 1 Surabaya, he is scaling nursery capacity to achieve a cumulative target of 65,000 mangroves by the end of 2026. Through Mangrove Warrior, Harley is helping strengthen Surabaya's coastal resilience while inspiring youth-led climate action across Indonesia.
Beyond ecological restoration, Harley champions environmental justice by linking conservation directly to local livelihoods. Recognizing that coastal degradation hits small-scale fishermen and vulnerable coastal communities, he leverages mangroves to filter pollutants, restock marine life, and safeguard clean water. Simultaneously, Harley partners with local mothers to turn ecological protection into financial independence. Guided by Kalpataru Award-winning activist Ibu Lulut Sri Yuliani, they process sustainable, value-added products, including alternative energy charcoal briquettes, shampoos and conditioners, specialty syrups, soy sauce and traditional mangrove batik. This cyclical economic model proves to communities that protecting standing forests yields far greater long-term value than destroying them.
Harley is also a brilliant tech innovator and public communicator. Supported by the environmental group Tunas Hijau Indonesia and international organizations like Wahana Visi Indonesia for post-planting monitoring, Harley actively explores nature-based engineering. He designed the Eco Geniuz Pillow, made from beach-cleanup plastic waste, featuring barcodes that link users to digital climate education. Driven by a passion for robotics, he even designed an award-winning prototype companion robot for children with autism and plans to develop robotic systems to automate future mangrove monitoring. His advocacy has mobilized over 300 field volunteers, educated more than 500 students, and reached nationwide audiences through national television, national newspapers, radio, and the official podcast of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. His work has also earned multiple regional and national environmental awards, recognizing both his scientific approach to conservation and his leadership in youth-driven climate action.
Executing this project requires massive physical endurance. The restoration sites are located 13 kilometers from Harley's home, and the planting terrain is brutal, requiring volunteers to wade through chest-deep water and heavy mud where sharp roots cause frequent injuries. Inspired by global innovators like Boyan Slat of The Ocean Cleanup, Harley views these hardships as a necessary path toward his ultimate life mission: planting one million mangroves across Indonesia.
"When forests disappear, we lose one of nature's greatest defenses. Real environmental restoration is never easy; it requires patience, courage, and the willingness to stand in deep water and thick mud while pushing forward. Large global problems can feel overwhelming, but starting in your own backyard shows how local action, multiplied by many people, can create global impact. This is a life mission. As long as I am able to plant, I will keep planting. I want to protect Surabaya, Indonesia, and our planet for future generations and for all living things for the rest of my life."
harleypangeranlingkunganhidup.com
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