West Papua is such a work of art area with natural resources that is very delightful. But this is cannot be separated from the influence of conservation carried out by local Papuan communities so that their natural beauty can be maintained.
Indonesia still got a lot of local cultures is passed down from generation to generation, especially in areas with little development. That’s not a bad thing, in fact, it can be an asset that must be maintained so that it can be useful for the lives in the future.
especially in the far east of Indonesia, there is an amazing island called Tanah Papua. There, culture and activities are still very conservative, including in terms of protecting their environment from damage and danger that can occur at any time.
And the local culture in Papua is what they use to protect their land. They call it SASI, a technique, method, law, as well as a culture that is very thick dan linked with Papuan life for the glory of the people there at now, and the future.
The Effect of SASI in West Papua Marine
Let us start by discussing it from the marine of the Papua. Conservation live here for a long time and It begins as a law. It gave a big effect while it combined local management system and discipline law altogether at the same time.
This SASI practice entails much more scope of the cultural system cause it needs the local wisdom to make it happen thoroughly. In Maritime, they call this SASI SASI Laut, and to make the effect positively, there would be some basic papua-typical ritual.
This is very shown the local culture as they will offer givings for “god of the sea”. The givings there would include dishes such as leaves, nut, lime, chicken, and egg, and the representative will put them in the sea while interconnected with “their” dimension at the same time.
To answer does this West Papua origin method was practiced successfully, there would be some doubt. But this program is biodiverse and linked with culture, spirituality, and society, so it is very appropriate to handle problems in Papua marine.
The evidence that we can see is that maritime in the Papua area is one of the best sources of income, not only in Indonesia but also in the world. Not to mention the beauty of the water area is also inseparable from its connection with this culture.
SASI Tradition in Land-Based West Papua
SASI is part of Papuan life as this traditional method has proved its existence in preventing the extinction of some natural resources. Before, we have already explained the effect in the marine area, but how does exactly SASI affect the land-based Papuan?
In the land, SASI performed well in doing some protection, preservation, and maintaining nature so that it is always in perfect condition. Indeed, there are some weaknesses, but only this method is considered the most appropriate for Papuan characteristics.
now, there is a lot of development going on, but what is legal and permitted is one that adheres to SASI customs and environmental health. but unfortunately, some people do not respect this rule by arbitrarily carrying out the illegal project.
The Great Challenges on West Papua Forest and Marine
Seeing the current conditions, we cannot say that conditions in West of Papua are completely safe. SASI is performing well, but there are challenges for the forests and seas on Papuan soil that interfere with the firmness of this regulation, including:
- Climate Change
First and foremost, let’s start with the discussion about climate change. This has been an issue for a long time and it happens all across the globe.
This condition makes the temperature in west Papua higher and hotter with 4 degrees warmer than 100 years ago. This leads to the forest being on fire and marine resources dying because the water is too hot.
- Plastic
Another challenge that has to be solved is plastic, the one that is still often used by Papuan citizens. Million tons of plastic have been found in marine, forest, and Papua land every year and it could harm the environment.
Several species of life could die because of some reason. It could be because they are trapped with plastic or eat microplastic that could harm their digestive system, so it has to be solved sooner or later to save their life of them.
- Next Generation
Next west Papuan generation is needed to take part in making the land of Papua successful. We all probably remember that progress can skip a generation, but generations have to take part in that process directly.
Next-generation Papuan may stick with another stream that even endangers the area where he lives, namely the land of Papua. Meanwhile, if this happens, the damage to the environment and waters will be a domino effect.
West Papua’s land is not just any place, because all water areas, forests, and the surrounding environment are protected by appropriate conservation techniques. But there are challenges, one of which is the next generation of West Papua itself.
