West Papua Forest conservation is an integral part of saving not only the West Papua environment but also the world. West Papua Forest is one of the most important forests in the world. Therefore, the government is making more effort to protect the forest in this province.
Forest clearing in West Papua happens because of the acceleration of infrastructure development. Infrastructure development will encourage economic and human resources development. As a result, the government is putting it as a priority. But it doesn’t mean that the local and national governments are neglecting forest protection. Forest conservation and economic development are happening at the same time. Here are some reasons why West Papua Forest conservation is just as important as the province’s economic development.
West Papua Forest Conservation is Indonesia’s Last Hope
Indonesia has forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan. But due to rapid development in those areas, the forests are diminished and only a little left there. It is not enough to reduce the whole country’s carbon emissions. Papua is the only island that still has enough forests so it is our last hope for a healthy environment.
It doesn’t mean that the government is sacrificing the West Papuans for the sake of better development in another province. The infrastructure development in West Papua will not be stopped, as a matter of fact the government is ready to accelerate the development to empower West Papuans and the province’s economic sector. However, the government is set to choose more sustainable ways of developing the area. It will protect the forests, especially from illegal operations.
Protecting Indigenous People
West Papua is rich in culture and it has many tribes with their local wisdom. Some of these local tribes live in the forests and their life depends on the existence of the forests. Clearing the forests means stripping away their rights to live in their own way, stripping them away from their livelihood.
This is why West Papua Forest conservation is an urgent matter. Protecting indigenous people means protecting West Papua culture and their human rights. To address this issue, the West Papua government has made legislation to make West Papua a Conservation Province. This legislation will create more sustainable development and also protect the rights of indigenous people.
Protecting the Habitats and Wildlife
West Papua is known as a home for various wildlife and biodiversity. Unfortunately, forest clearing in the last two decades, especially the illegal ones, has reduced the number of wildlife animals in this area. Some people might argue that the life of animals don’t matter or it is okay to sacrifice them for the greater good. But this is completely wrong. When the number of certain animals is reduced, it will negatively affect the balance of the ecosystem.
Moving to A More Sustainable Development Effort
Development will harm the environment. This is a fact that we cannot ignore. However, it is possible to create a more sustainable development plan that can help conserve the environment. West Papua is moving toward this. The province starts to implement methods that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable to support West Papua Forest conservation efforts.
Conservation Province legislation will provide policies that will protect indigenous people and their rights to natural resources, protect the habitats and improve fisheries to ensure food security, and also preserve mangroves in West Papua. The latter is very important because more than seventy percent of mangroves in Indonesia are in West Papua.
West Papua will show that environment conservation and infrastructure development can be done at the same time. West Papua’s amazing nature will not disappear and be replaced by roads and buildings if all the important stakeholders support West Papua Forest conservation efforts.
