They’ve sailed across Southeast Asia for centuries. Now, these sea nomads are being forced to live on land

Editor’s Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rebecca Cairns/CNN A ‘stateless’ community Despite living in the region for decades, even centuries, many of the Bajau Laut in Semporna are “stateless” and not considered Malaysian citizens. Adzmin Fatta, who works with many stateless people in Semporna through Reef Check Malaysia, says one of the major challenges to conservation in the area is the “unequal opportunities” for the coastal communities. “It’s maritime wisdom that you can actually build upon in terms of designing, for example, marine protected areas around critical habitats, like fish aggregation areas or coral reefs.” However, across the region, Djohani hasn’t seen many efforts to support the preservation of the Bajau Laut culture and traditional lifestyle. Rebecca Cairns/CNN While poverty, statelessness and climate change are threatening the Bajau Laut’s cultural relationship with the ocean, some young people in the community are finding new ways to reconnect with the marine environment.