From Reef to Roof: Our Commitment to Nature and Communities in Lembeh
Sustainability is not a destination; it is a journey. At Lembeh Resort, we’re committed to ensuring every step on this journey contributes to the protection of marine ecosystems and the biodiversity they support, while also encouraging guests and local communities to walk this path with us.
For guests who visit Lembeh Resort, we strive to ensure the diving experience follows responsible practices, from interactions with corals and critters to the products used in their bathrooms and the meals they enjoy in the restaurant.
But this commitment also stretches beyond the resort; through the Lembeh Foundation, we’re working to raise awareness in neighboring villages and nurture the next generation of environmentalists, so they have a connection to nature and the tools they need to preserve it effectively.
In this article, we take a closer look at each of these areas, and explore how even the smallest actions can lead to significant impacts.
Exploring Deeply, Treading Lightly at Lembeh Resort
At Lembeh Resort, our commitment to sustainability covers everything from accommodation and diving to the restaurant and recycling. This approach begins with small but significant changes to our daily habits, and extends to the wider infrastructure—how we source our food, how we treat our wastewater, and how we interact with our neighbors (on both land and sea).
Throughout the resort, we don’t use plastic bottles. Instead, we provide water dispensers in all rooms, and supply every guest with a refillable drinking bottle they can use throughout their stay. Toiletries and spa treatments are palm oil free and environmentally friendly, and we have invested time and energy into our greywater treatment systems to reduce our impact on the ocean. You can read more about the latest innovations to our water management systems here.
During dives, we follow ethical, environmentally friendly practices to help divers minimize their impact on delicate marine ecosystems. We also train underwater photographers in techniques that respect wildlife, while also enabling them to capture images that showcase the incredible beauty of the Lembeh Strait.
The Lembeh Foundation: Nurturing the Next Generation
The Lembeh Foundation is a non-profit (yayasan), founded in 2018 by Lembeh Resort to help raise awareness about environmental issues in local communities and empower them to play a central role in building a more sustainable future. Focusing on the three villages closest to Lembeh Resort (Pintu Kota Kecil, Pintu Kota Besar, and Baturiri), the Lembeh Foundation focuses on recycling initiatives, beach cleanups, coral and mangrove planting, and education for local schoolchildren and teenagers.
For communities living in Lembeh, one of the biggest challenges is long-term access to education, with many students struggling to attend school or complete their studies due to financial difficulties. In addition to sustainability and environmentalism, the Lembeh Foundation was also set up to help lighten this load on young learners; every year, it provides school uniforms, shoes, backpacks, and stationery to children in low-income families so they can continue their education. In 2026, a total of 50 local kids have been supported this way.
But the Foundation doesn’t stop at learning supplies; in Pintu Kota Kecil, we have built a dedicated learning center, which regularly hosts English language classes for local learners, along with lessons on environmental subjects. This facility also provides a hub for the Lembeh Foundation Eco Warriors project; an outreach initiative which educates teenagers on a broad range of sustainability topics, and encourages them to get involved in practical solutions.
Turning Trash Into Treasure
The Lembeh Foundation also takes local kids on field trips like to Tangkoko Nature Reserve where they can learn about the unique wildlife endemic to their island; and takes them snorkeling, so they can build a personal connection with the reefs and marine life they are working to protect. Along the way, they help to reduce plastic pollution in nature by collecting waste, thereby keeping these ecosystems clean and healthy.
In addition to beach and ocean cleanups, the Lembeh Foundation has built a waste bank in Pintu Kota Kecil, where locals can bring their plastic waste for sorting and recycling in exchange for a small payout. These efforts are supported by regular skills training workshops, where local communities learn how plastic waste can be upcycled into handicraft products they can sell.
It Takes a Village: Join Us in Our Ongoing Mission
From education to waste management and from the reefs of the Lembeh Strait to the rooftops of schools and houses inland, Lembeh Resort and the Lembeh Foundation are working to preserve nature, broaden horizons, and build a more sustainable future for the island we all love so much.
To learn more about these efforts, and to find out how you can get involved during your stay, please visit our website. If you’d like to include volunteerism and community visits in your itinerary, our reservations team will be delighted to craft a schedule that combines diving, exploration, and conservation. Together, we can take environmentalism and social development to a whole new level in Lembeh!
