Location
Papua province, Indonesia
Goal
To help a fledgling conservation organization begin work on conserving forests in Papua.
Project Field Partner
YAPPENDA, with a dedicated mission to protect, advocate for, sustain, and restore the natural environment through the empowerment of indigenous Papuans, has made substantial strides in environmental conservation. It aims to develop community-led projects focusing on sustainable and integrated restoration plans for three key sites, incorporating aspects of forest, water, livelihood, and culture by 2030.
Size of Area Involved
2,700 ha of reforestation, among a region of 75,000 ha
Maps data © 2024 Google
Conserving Rare Species in Papua's Ecological Tapestry
The island of New Guinea is the most floristically diverse island in the world. An estimated 10% of the planet’s biodiversity is found in New Guinea. This is Asia Pacific’s largest area of intact old-growth forest, of which, an estimated 92% of its original forest cover is still intact (amounting to 33.8 million hectares). Indonesian New Guinea harbours 8.5% (1.17 Mha) of the world’s mangrove forests (13.58 Mha), a larger percentage than the next leading nations Brazil, Nigeria, or Australia. It is home to more than 600 species of birds, including 27 bird-of-paradise species, many of which are endemic.
The Cyclops Mountains received official recognition as a nature reserve in 1978, a designation that was subsequently reaffirmed in 1995. The segments of the terrain exceeding 1,000 meters form an integral component of the Northern New Guinea montane rainforests ecoregion, while the lower slopes and adjacent lowlands fall within the Northern New Guinea lowland rain and freshwater swamp forests ecoregion. YAPPENDA’s project sites have rare and endemic species like the Attenborough Long-beaked Echidna (Cyclops Echidna, CR) and the Sentani Rainbowfish (Chilatherina sentaniensis, CR).
YAPPENDA is taking measures that will protect biodiversity, provide sustainable livelihood opportunities, and reduce unsustainable resource extraction:
– reforestation in Yahukimo Regency and Jayapura Regency, with forests owned and managed by the local community (BUMKAM)
– construction of tree nurseries and composting facilities
– establishing a Learning Center in Sentani, Jayapura Regency. The facility will be a hub for conservation-related research and public education
– developing a satellite research station in Yahukimo Regency
