Aim

WRI collaborates with local governments, CSOs and academic institutions in Papua to empower locally led protection and sound stewardship of remaining natural ecosystems.

Where

Six provinces in Tanah Papua

Why

Papua’s six provinces are the eastern-most extent of Indonesia and cover the western half of New Guinea.  It is a critical area for Indigenous People, Nature, and Climate.  

People  

Indonesian Papua’s has a diverse Indigenous population from 276 ethnolinguistic backgrounds from seven broader customary areas - Laa Pago, Mee Pago, Tabi, Saireri, Anim Ha, Saireri, Domberay and Bomberay. Most Indigenous groups have a traditional dependence on natural resources, with hereditary utilisation, subsistence practices, and unique and intergenerational traditional knowledge on Papua’s flora and fauna for food, medicine and materials. While traditional Papuan knowledge has been largely overlooked by Western science and broader Indonesian society, there is immense potential to learn from the sheer diversity of Papua’s indigenous communities.  

Nature

Complimenting Papua’s cultural diversity is Papua’s outstanding biodiversity. With Indonesia being the second most biodiverse country in the world, 50% of that biodiversity is found in Papua alone. Its 34,9 million hectares of forests – 42% of which is intact – means Indonesian Papua alone holds the third largest area of rainforest in the world after the Amazon and Congo.  The landscapes range from glacier-capped mountains, lowland forests, highland valleys, savannahs, vast mangrove systems and an abundant marine environment. Papua also hosts significant minerals, with large deposits of gold, copper, nickel, oil and gas.

Papua’s diverse terrestrial geography supports a known 15,000 - 20,000 plant species, 2000 species of orchids, 602 species of birds, 125 species of mammals, 223 species of reptiles and amphibians, 222 species of birds, 125 species of mammals, 25 species of freshwater fish, 1200 species of marine fish and an estimated 150,000 species of insects. As a haven for endemism, there are potentially hundreds of species still unknown to science.  

Climate

Indonesian Papua’s vast forests are a net carbon sink, removing around 52 million tCO2e / year5. This is equivalent to neutralising the annual emissions from Singapore. Its forests store some 15 billion tonnes of carbon within its trees and soils. As one of the world’s key remaining assets to limit global temperature increases in line the Paris Agreement, preserving the healthy, intact rainforests of Indonesian Papua is essential.  

Threats

With significant biodiversity, Tanah Papua remains threatened by the presence of extractive industries from oil palm plantations, timber commodities, mining, and infrastructure development. This is largely driven by the limitations for land expansion in other parts of Indonesia, which then makes Tanah Papua a prospective area for extractive sector development, including oil palm plantations. In addition, the development of food estate development plans will reiterate massive environmental problems and degradation, such as loss of biodiversity, deforestation, river pollution, at a level that threatens biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the subsistence life of indigenous Papuans in it. Indigenous Papuans will be increasingly pushed out and lose the relationship between humans, forests and rivers, which has been maintained for generations.

Commitment

Various forms of commitment and roadmaps to maintain the remaining forest cover have been echoed as an effort of conservation strategy in the Land of Papua. So far, agreements such as the Manokwari Declaration in 2018 to allocate at least 70% of land as protected areas and the Papua 2100 Vision that maintains 90% of its natural forest cover are the initial initiatives and joint commitments to maintain the biodiversity of the Land of Papua landscape. This is particularly important after the formation of the New Autonomous Region (Daerah Otonomi Baru, DOB) in 2022, which creates four new provinces from two parent provinces, because conservation efforts to maintain forest cover in the Land of Papua are uncertain with the new provinces. Therefore, the development of the Land of Papua after the formation of the New Autonomous Region requires more comprehensive landscape conservation efforts with sustainable inclusive development in mapping the direction of environmental, biodiversity and landscape-based development that takes into account indigenous Papuans.  

How

WRI collaborates with local governments, CSOs and academic institutions in Papua to empower locally led protection and sound stewardship of remaining natural ecosystems. This builds on the strong commitments by local institutions – most notably the 2018 Manokwari Declaration where the original Papua and West Papua Provinces committed to keep 70% of their land as forest. These actions in turn support the activities of the Government of Indonesia in achieving the ‘FOLU Net Sink’ (Forestry and Other Land Use) commitment by 2030 and enhancing their policies and corrective actions which reduce loss of primary forests.  

Key examples of WRI’s work across Papua’s landscape include:

  • Reviewing land-use licenses: For the Government of Indonesia to achieve the NDC and FOLU net sink commitments, it’s crucial to ensure forests have the adequate land-use tenures. WRI works with local governments and national government authorities, alongside other CSOs and local communities, to review land-use and licenses across Papua. Adequate land-use tenure can support better preservation of forests while also reducing risk of social conflicts and marginalisation of Indigenous communities. Backed by strong scientific evidence that traditional land tenure helps maintain the ecological integrity of forests, WRI actively collaborates with local authorities on increasing recognition of Indigenous land in Papua
  • Landscape analysis of Tanah Papua: We examined the landscape analysis – the historical and current state of Tanah Papua – to gain comprehensive insights into the outlook of Tanah Papua in the aftermath of new provinces. These would offer comprehensive conservation strategies and influence the ongoing development of regional spatial planning and forest policies in the six provinces. With other newly established provinces still developing their regional spatial plan, this gives us a wide opportunity to offer concrete conservative pathways and inclusive development of indigenous Papuans based on comprehensive spatial analysis, notably on carrying capacity and future land cover model analysis, which incorporates sociocultural context of indigenous Papuans.
  • Cities4Forests: Founded by WRI, Pilot Projects, and REVOLVE, Cities4Forests is an international movement to catalyze political, social, and economic support among city governments and urban residents to integrate the inner, nearby, and faraway forests into city development plans and programs. WRI works with the Jayapura City Government (Kota Jayapura), the capital of Papua Province, and Manokwari Regency Government, capital of West Papua Province, on the Cities4Forests program on conservation and protection of green open spaces by taking local community cultural values into account.  
  • Integrated Landscape Conservation: WRI supports local governments and CSOs on pursuing an integrated approach to landscape conservation – where improved forest protection becomes an asset, rather than liability, to sustainable economic growth. This entails forest conservation to go in hand with customary recognition of Indigenous people, sustainable livelihood, and business development. For example, WRI is part of a larger consortium of organizations for the Mahkota Permata Tanah Papua (Crown Jewel of Papua) landscape, an area of 2.3 million ha across the provinces of West Papua and Southwest Papua with significant biodiversity and endemism. 

Projects

Cities4Forests in Papua

Aim

Cities4Forests is an international movement that helps cities around the world better conserve, manage, and restore nature, especially the world's forests, for human well-being. This includes inner forests (such as urban trees and city parks), nearby forests (such as green corridors and watersheds), and faraway forests (mainly tropical forests). We support cities with technical assistance, political engagement, economics and finance, gender and social equity, technology, and more.  

The Cities4Forests program in Papua is engaging the Jayapura City Government and Manokwari District Government in efforts to conserve and protect green open spaces by taking into account the cultural values of local communities in spatial planning.  

Where

  • Jayapura City, Papua Province
  • Manokwari Regency, West Papua Province

Why

While forest and nature loss cause many of the challenges facing cities, many cities around the world continue to make decisions that drive this loss. From the commodities they buy, to the land choices they make within their borders, cities determine what happens to the world's forests - and, as a result, what happens to them.  

This is particularly relevant in the capital of Indonesia's Papua Province. As one of the most forested regions on the planet, Papua's rapidly growing cities continue to expand into the surrounding ecosystems and traditional lands of indigenous communities. If urban growth is not properly managed, Papua's cities and their residents will have to face increasing threats from extreme weather, floods, droughts, human-wildlife conflict, urban heat, and air pollution, among other issues.  

However, urban planners in Papua also have an exciting opportunity to manage nature in ways that address their challenges, and build a future where cities and forests have a sustainable relationship that allows both to survive and thrive. The benefits of this opportunity are exemplified in Jayapura and Manokwari, two cities in Tanah Papua where the Cities4Forests program is facilitated. 

How

Kota Jayapura

Jayapura City occupies a stunning geographical location of 758 km2 at the foot of the highly biodiverse Cyclops Mountains including the Pacific Ocean. As the largest city in Papua Indonesia with 300,192 residents (BPS, 2024), Kota Jayapura plays a critical role in safeguarding and conserving Papua's forests and local wisdom. This includes the forests deep in the interior of Papua province, the forests in Muara Tami district on the border with Papua New Guinea, and the forests in the Cyclops Mountains which are a major source of water for the city. Jayapura City is also uniquely positioned to address threats to this critical environment. Muara Tami district, threatened by illegal logging and land conversion due to urbanization, can develop alternative economic development based on the preservation of ecosystem services for ecotourism. And the Cyclops Mountains, which are beginning to be affected by illegal settlements, could experience significant benefits from enhanced protection and reforestation programs that would in turn reduce upstream flooding, landslides, and increase water infiltration.

As part of the Cities4Forests program in Jayapura City starting in 2021, WRI Indonesia in collaboration with the Jayapura City Government and Ottow Geissler University Papua has conducted socialization of institutional strengthening efforts and supported the preservation of Green Open Spaces (RTH) and mapping of important places of Port Numbay indigenous people in Jayapura City by considering various proposals from various government parties, communities, and traditional leaders that have been accommodated in the revision of the Jayapura City Spatial Plan. We also conducted a land-related study and analysis of nature-based solutions for flood mitigation. This is in line with the preparation of the Jayapura City Spatial Plan Revision and the Regional Medium Term Plan. In addition, we also assessed the potential of forests in Mosso village for the development of ecotourism based on indigenous peoples.  

Kabupaten Manokwari

Manokwari Regency has the most diverse biodiversity with the Crown Jewel of Papua (CJP Project) landscape meeting the Bird's Head Seascape on Cenderawasih Bay. Manokwari Regency covers an area of 296,902 hectares and consists of 9 districts. The 'West Manokwari' district is the most urbanized, with about half of the total population of Manokwari Regency as well as the administrative location of the capital of West Papua province. Like Jayapura City, Manokwari's growth and development will impact the inner, nearby and distant forests.  

To accommodate social, economic, and environmental interests in urban planning, the Manokwari District Government is making efforts to build a 'Resilient and Green City' through green open spaces, flood disaster mitigation, sustainable forest management, and governance and practicing the West Papua Province Low Carbon Development Planning (LCDI). Manokwari Regency's efforts were supported by officially joining Cities4Forests on July 4, 2022 through Manokwari Regent letter Number 656.1/912.  

The Cities4Forests collaboration between the Manokwari District Government, University of Papua, development partners, and WRI Indonesia began with a baseline study and review of the status of spatial planning and urban green spaces. It identified that a potential land area of 2,692 hectares or 44.3% of Manokwari's urban area could be utilized as regional green open space to maintain the ecological functions of forests for biodiversity sustainability, improved hydrology, enhanced public welfare, and disaster prevention. Currently, the Cities4Forests Manokwari Action Plan has been produced with a vision of “Resilient, Healthy, Biodiverse, Economically Diversified, and Spacious Urban Forests for Now and the Future ” which is compiled in the Green Open Space Masterplan of Manokwari Regency 2024-2044 as an academic basis in the Manokwari Regent Regulation on the Provision and Utilization of Green Open Space.  

To introduce the importance of Green Open Space to the local community, WRI Indonesia together with the Manokwari District Government, planted more than 500 mangrove trees in several locations that will have a positive impact on the resilience of Manokwari's urban coastal communities in the future. We also increased the capacity of the local government in sustainable urban spatial planning by conducting a series of workshops and training on Geographic Information Systems.  

Partners

World Resources Institute, Universitas Ottow Geissler Papua (UOGP), Pemerintah Kota Jayapura, Pemerintah Kabupaten Manokwari, Pilot Projects, REVOLVE

Related sources

  • Cities4Forests Global: https://cities4forests.com/  
  • Cities4Forests Indonesia: https://wri-indonesia.org/id/inisiatif/cities4forests 
The Crown Jewel of Papua

Aim

The Crown Jewel of Papua (CJP) is an integrated landscape initiative led by the provincial government to manage an area spanning 2.3m hectares across West Papua and Southwest Papua province. The aim of CJP is to preserve nature and biodiversity, harness natural resources, while improving the well-being of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) in the region through promoting sustainable economic development, recognising rights and protecting culture and local wisdom.  

Where

West Papua and Southwest Papua province

Why

CJP is a new approach in landscape management covering a large, heterogenous area in one of the world’s most precious and important biodiversity hotspots. 90% of the forest cover within CJP is classified as primary rainforest, it is rich in endemic species and encompasses several distinct ecosystems ranging from high mountains such as Mt Arfak (2,940m), montane forest to mangroves. It is home to 200 forest-dependent indigenous communities, including the Hatam, Moiley, Meyakh, Sough, Mpur, and Meyah tribes.  

The West Papuan Provincial Government is dedicated to protecting its natural assets while reducing poverty for local communities. In 2015, West Papua declared itself a Provinsi Konservasi (Conservation Province). In 2018, former West Papua province signed the landmark Manokwari Declaration, pledging to extend the protected area status to a minimum 70% of the land. As a response to the Manokwari Declaration, the West Papua Governor announced the creation of the 2.3 million hectares CJP protected area. In 2021, the provincial government began the administrative process, to designate CJP as a Provincial Strategic Area (KSP) which creates the legal boundaries of CJP. In 2022, the West Papua province was divided into two provinces.

Currently, 960,000 ha of CJP are formally protected as ‘Conservation Forest’ (Hutan Konservasi) and recognized by the IUCN, and 280.000 ha are classified as Sustainable Use Zone (KPB). Many other areas remain under threat due to external economic drivers that promote unsustainable deforestation, and in many cases, the rights of indigenous peoples have yet to be recognized.  

How

Effectively managing an area of this size requires a strong network of various stakeholders, including the national and local government, local communities, NGOs/CSOs, universities, private sector, and donors.

WRI Indonesia is part of the CJP consortium that was formed as a collaboration platform for the implementation of activities in the CJP program. In close collaboration with other consortium members, WRI Indonesia through its office in regional Papua works closely with the local government, the Regional Research and Innovation Agency (BRIDA) and other relevant departments to provide support and advice on the following:

  • Strengthening governance and effective collaboration of local governments, CSOs and other stakeholders
  • Supporting the socialisation of CJP at provincial, district and community level
  • Supporting the recognition and empowerment of IPLC and preserving local wisdom, at local level as well as national level through Social Forestry schemes that facilitate community-based management in forest areas
  • Delivering high quality research, data and knowledge to inform development plans and courses of action within CJP, including sustainable financing schemes

Partners

  • West Papua Research and Innovation Agency (BRIDA)
  • Yayasan Mahkota Permata Tanah Papua (YMPTP)
  • EcoNusa
  • Yayasan Konservasi Indonesia
  • WWF
  • Fauna & Flora International
  • Bentara Papua
  • GIZ Forclime
  • The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Kew Royal Botanic Gardens 
Land-based License Review

Aim

Around nine million hectares of forests in Tanah Papua are converted to land-based concessions, including forestry, oil palm, and mining. An analysis and inventory of land-based licenses, especially oil palm plantations in 8 districts, was conducted to assess the compliance of concession holders' licenses, conformity with spatial planning, protection of indigenous peoples, and saving Papua's primary forests.

Where

Papua Province, South Papua Province, Central Papua Province

Why

Prior to the establishment of the new autonomous region, Papua Province was the largest province in Indonesia, covering 31.5 million hectares with the highest percentage of primary forest cover (81%). The province has licensed 4.5 million hectares of land to companies in the form of oil palm, forestry and mining concessions. Most of the licenses are still natural forests, located in indigenous territories with high biodiversity. However, most of the licenses granted are not yet operational. Possibly, these could be used as land investments for future conversion. Land-based concessions must be reviewed so that Papua's forests are protected and serve as large-scale carbon sinks, and maintain biodiversity while providing benefits to Papuan communities and contributing to local revenues.

How

The licensing analysis and inventory process is part of the accelerated implementation of the OneMap Policy on oil palm plantation licenses under the coordination of the National Strategy for Corruption Prevention (Stranas PK) and the Papua Provincial Government (before the division).  

WRI Indonesia provided technical support to the Papua Provincial Government and the Government of 8 (eight) Districts in developing a legal review framework by codifying existing regulations into 34 legal indicators and 12 spatial analyses, classifying violations into several categories, and providing legal recommendations in accordance with laws and regulations. The Papua Provincial Government has compiled data on 54 oil palm plantation companies in Papua based on those standardized by the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) and submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture (ATR/BPN) for spatial map integration and synchronization. Based on this process, it has recommended the revocation of oil palm plantation licenses with an area of ±500,000 hectares. As of mid-2024, the Papua Government has revoked and shrunk oil palm licenses covering an area of 85,490.82 hectares.

Partners

Papua Provincial Government, District Governments (8 districts), Stranas PK KPK, Geospatial Information Agency (BIG), Ministry of Agriculture.