Eco-region management center in Papua

Indonesian Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya is scheduled to inaugurate the Eco-region Management Center (PPE) in Biak regency, Papua province, on Tuesday (11/12).

“I appreciate the establishment of an Eco-region Management Center in Papua,” Biak Numfor Regent Yusuf Melianus Maryen said here on Tuesday.

He said the main objective of establishing the centre was to ensure the conservation of the region’s biodiversity.

The centre in Papua will be the sixth PPE in Indonesia, with the five others being located in Riau, Balikpapan, Makassar, Yogyakarta, and Denpasar.

“Previously, Papua was covered by the Eco-region Management Center in Makassar,” Yusuf stated.

He urged the Papuan community to “actively cooperate in preserving the natural environment”.

Henri Bastamana of the Environment Ministry said the management centre was aimed at discovering the unique natural characteristics of the region.

“Papua has a unique biodiversity, with its coral reefs, seagrass beds, mountains, savannahs, glaciers and herbal medicines,” he noted.

“The management centre will help map Papua’s natural wealth,” Henry continued.

“The main thing is how we can manage the environment by applying the center’s concepts,” he said.

Henry stated that the establishment of the centre would not only help preserve the environment but also benefit the economy.

“The concepts used to develop areas in Java cannot be directly implemented in Papua,” he pointed out.

Source: ANTARA News

U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel Visits Papua

The U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel visits Jayapura on November 5-6 to meet with government officials and community leaders.

Ambassador Marciel’s visit to Papua highlights the United States’ commitment to working across Indonesia to support increased cooperation under the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership. The United States sees Papua as an integral part of Indonesia and supports progress toward increased economic opportunity and development of local political and civil institutions.

During the visit, the Ambassador will highlight new and existing U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs that support growth and development for the people of Papua. These programs expand on the U.S. government’s continuing commitment to support development in the region.

Ambassador Marciel met with the Head of Department of Education, Youth and Sport Affairs for Papua, Dr. James Modouw, to discuss the roll out of a new education curriculum for more than 32,000 students in 355 schools across 6 districts.

“A Papua specific curriculum will help inspire Papuan children to learn and will also reflect the profound respect we have for Papua’s rich culture,” said Ambassador Marciel.

The $2.8 million grant from the United States will help the provincial Department of Education to refine, print and distribute the new curriculum, as well as conduct training for teachers.

Under the USAID SERASI program, USAID partners with Yayasan Kristen Wamena Teacher Training Institute to develop curricula in Math and Bahasa Indonesia for first and second graders that are adapted to local culture and meet or surpass national standards.

The Provincial Government of Papua will use the Papua-specific curriculum in remote areas, particularly the broader highland area. Five highland districts and other organizations that work in non-formal or parallel education system will adopt the curriculum.

During his meetings in Papua Ambassador Marciel also discussed other U.S. assistance initiatives in health, environment, economic development, and governance.

The United States is providing $1.5 million in support through a new USAID program that will reduce deforestation, preserve biodiversity, and increase income for Papuans by promoting sustainable management of the Cyclops mountain range.

Ambassador Marciel said, “The United States is proud to partner with the Papua Provincial Government Low Carbon Development Taskforce and local governments and communities to reduce deforestation in the Cyclops mountain range and preserve it for future generations.”

The USAID program will partner with local governments, businesses, and communities to promote renewable biomass energy as an alternative to cutting down trees to be converted to charcoal. The program will be including plant trees and rehabilitate areas that are essential to the health of the Cyclops mountain range and provide water supply for the city of Jayapura.

In addition, the program will convene forums in local communities to educate citizens, local governments, the private sector, and NGOs on strategies to improve the management of natural resources.

The USAID program in the Cyclops Mountains will help Papua fulfill its commitment and contribute to REDD+, a global initiative to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

USAID is also working with local governments in Papua to finalize a new health governance program to support improvements in the quality of public health service in several districts.

The program plans to target improving service delivery in the areas of maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. This initiative will utilize the lessons from successful USAID efforts in other Indonesian provinces that have improved the quality, effectiveness, and reliability of public services.

Source: Tempointeraktif

Papua – a land of bountiful riches

Papua spans 42 million hectares, with 40 million hectares of forest and 1.6 million hectares of water.

With a population of 2.8 million, Papua is rich in culture and biodiversity.

For example, Lake Sentani is the largest volcanic lake in Jayapura province with an area of 9,360 hectares. Located 70 to 90 meters above sea level with an average depth of 25 meters and right on the slopes of the Cyclops Mountains, the lake lies between the city of Jayapura and Jayapura regency, deriving its water from 14 large and small rivers.

The lake is the habitat of several freshwater fish species and has potential for fish farming and tourism. Besides diving, tourist activities that can be boosted are swimming, boating, fishing and waterskiing.

No wonder Papua program director for WWF Indonesia, Benja Victor Mambai, said “Sumatra is the past and Kalimantan is the present, while Papua is the future of Indonesia.”

Forests, seas, rivers, lakes and mountains are important to the life of communities in Papua.

Approximately 256 ethnic groups depend on nature for their daily sustenance through hunting and farming.

With the local community’s wisdom and values regarding biodiversity, conservation and development, the soil of Papua has so far been maintained.

People in Papua have been directly involved in spatial layout mapping and zonal divisions of the province along with the government and NGOs.

The challenge to be faced in the days, months and years ahead is the improvement of living standards without causing environmental damage in serving the interests of development and investment.

“Build Papua with our hearts, not with our desires,” seems just the right motto for the future of the land of Papua.

Source: the Jakarta Post