Forest rehabilitation in West Papua and its surroundings is urgently needed. With a well-maintained ecosystem, this will have an effect on the lifestyle and quality of life of the local community as well. We all have a responsibility to create a clean environment.
A clean natural environment will improve human health and will also improve the mood to live a more positive day. But what we see in this era is that the environment is getting worse and the air quality in every area of the world is also decreasing.
If we dig deeper, forests have a big role in the ecosystem. Forests contribute almost all the clean oxygen a person needs. However, there are a number of irresponsible individuals who actually destroy the forest for personal gain.
If this continues, there will be many disturbances and effects caused by forest destruction. Since this is happening more and more, then we must not continue to allow it. All one has to do is help solve the problem, no matter who it is.
Humans and Disturbance in West Papua Forest Rehabilitation
We as humans live with natural phenomena that encompass every living thing to be able to feel the wealth of nature. So, human is responsible for every single problem to the environment and must try to impact the environment to be safe.
Historically speaking, there are records that picture the role of humans in nature, whether in positive or negative terms. But if you look at that record too, it can be said that there are more negative ones and drive the world’s conditions to climate change condition.
As happened in West Papua, where the condition of the forest began to experience a decline in quality. For example, animals that are increasingly difficult to find due to illegal hunting, and the most serious problem lately is the felling of trees for palm oil plantations.
With a rapidly growing human population, the need for land will also increase. Not to mention that in that area, there are rarely terraced houses and still need a large area of land for agriculture. So not infrequently, the human response is to take forest land.
Furthermore, humans often move and migrate to avoid the natural consequences of their actions. Ironically, people also try to let it go and are selfish. So that the damaged forest is also left as long as it does not affect them directly.
Woman’s Role in Forest Rehabilitation in West Papua
But it must also be noted that the role in the rehabilitation of this ecosystem is not only activists, environmental activists, or leaving men alone. In Papua there, women also have a role in this rehabilitation, especially that have experienced climate change.
One of the programs that have been started is by planting plants around the house. Utilizing the existing vacant land for an initiation that can protect the entire village from erosion and other natural disasters that are often caused by humans themselves.
But not all plants are recommended. They chose Mangrove plants to be planted around the vacant land of the house because it was believed that the mangrove forest was what made the soil strength increase and had no effect on the structure of the house as well.
Importance of West Papua Forest for Local
The question of what is the use of sustaining forests and why we should rehabilitate natural ecosystems is often asked. Even though it is clear that natural effects are very large for human life, for now, and for the future.
But for the Papuan people themselves, there are several main points why the local area is in dire need of environmental sustainability. So, here are several ways of how forests rehabilitation is really needed by the locals and even for you all!
- Forests Provide Best Oxygen
Why forests need, can simply be answered is because they are the ones that produce the greatest oxygen for our lungs. Without trees in the forest, perhaps the amount of oxygen on earth would have been lost. Trees provide the oxygen we needed!
- They Bring Rainfall
As agricultural land, rain and sunshine are needed. Areas or villages in West Papua that are near forests have higher rainfall. The result is, agriculture developed by local farmers is more fertile.
- Provide Food Materials
In addition, the forest is also a supplier of food for local communities. For example, there are fruits or other natural resources. But it must always be remembered that everything is used properly, not cut down carelessly.
- Forests Provide Cleaner Water
The presence of forests also not only has a positive effect on the land but also on the water that local people consume. With the forest, it is proven that the water quality is cleaner and pollution-free. The forest’s root system helps clean it.
Forests have a tremendous effect on human life. But this does not even make the whole community aware of protecting the environment. Forest rehabilitation is urgently needed at this time because the environmental damage in West Papua is getting worse.
