HEALTHY SEAS, HEALTHY PEOPLE

In 2006, researchers led by CI's Mark Erdmann dove into the coastal waters of Indonesia's Papua provinceand found a wonder world of marine life. Today, the region that Erdmann described as a "species factory" is a new marine protected area (MPA).

The Kaimana community-based Marine Protected Area, a 597,747-hectare coastal zone that is larger than Rhode Island, was formally declared in November 2008 by Indonesian Marine and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi. Encompassing pristine coastal waters and scores of local communities of the Kaimana Regency, the MPA is intended to halt destructive fishing practices including the use of bombs and potassium that damaged coral reefs and the fish stocks that lived in them.

READ MORE: Open Your Eyes To Coral

"This is a good example for other areas to protect their fish supply, so people no longer have to worry about depleting their main source of food in the future," said Dr. Jatna Supriatna, CI's regional vice president forIndonesia.

The Case for Conservation
A Win-Win
Nature for People's Sake

The Kaimana example also shows how modern conservation is supposed to work.

Erdmann's team of international and local researchers identified a place with unmatched biodiversity – one of the greatest concentrations of fish and corals on Earth, including species previously unknown to science.

Working with local communities and scientists as well as government authorities, CI helped create effective strategies such as MPAs for ensuring that such essential resources will exist in perpetuity for the good of everyone.

The goal of MPAs is sustainable use of marine resources, with increased awareness of how to conserve those resources for present and future benefit. That means balancing the needs of coastal communities with conservation of ecosystems such as coral reefs that are essential habitat for fish, a major protein source and income generator.

Protecting marine ecosystems makes them more resilient to rising sea temperatures and other effects ofclimate change. In addition, helping coastal communities develop alternate sources of conservation-based income – such as ecotourism – provides people with alternatives to depleting the resources at hand.

IN-DEPTH: Take a closer look at Indonesia's Papua Province.

Recent studies show that protecting such fragile and interconnected ecosystems of coastal landscapes and waters brings a range of economic and social benefits for local populations, including a steady source of food and more job opportunities.

"It's not an either-or situation, but a win-win," said Dr. Leah Bunce Karrer, senior director of CI's Marine Management Area Science (MMAS) program. "Marine ecosystems provide essential resources and services for coastal communities and human societies in general, so keeping them healthy helps everyone."

One study – the first global analysis of the importance of marine resources to people in tropical coastal areas – found that the vast majority of coastal dwellers depend on fishing as a primary source of income, especially in Asia. In the Caribbean and Central America, meanwhile, tourism based on pristine coral reefs is becoming a major economic driver.

The study – conducted by CI, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – also confirmed that illegal fishing, overfishing and pollution were the main threats to marine ecosystems.

At the recent World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain, CI and partners released another study that showed how properly planned and managed MPAs provide a holistic approach to conservation that helps coastal communities and the biodiversity on which they depend.

LEARN MORE: Find out more about how economic incentives are intergral to successful conservation strategies.

More than 100 experts confirmed the study results, showing how MPAs provide ecological and socio-economic benefits including healthier ecosystems, improved livelihoods, food security and greater environmental awareness, as well as reduced conflicts between communities.

In many cases, communities that traditionally depended on fishing alone found that MPAs offered diversified livelihoods including ecotourism, protected area management and even handicrafts made from plants in mangrove swamps.

Another key finding: Protecting spawning grounds and other vital fish habitat increases fish populations that spill over from no-fishing zones into surrounding areas to provide sustainable catches for local fishermen.

"We're not trying to be preservationists that aim for complete human exclusion," Karrer noted. "We recognize that success depends on conservation that works for species and people."

In Indonesia, local authorities echoed the need for conservation to work for people.

"Through the declaration of this MPA, let's make sure that the development of the MPA will … enhance people's welfare, especially the welfare of traditional fishermen in Kaimana," said Yonathan Ojanggai, Chief of the Mairasi Clan. "If not us, who else would develop Kaimana."

READ MORE: Around the World: Protecting Marine Areas

FOR JAKARTA, A GREEN WALL

On the Indonesian island of Java, the people of Jakarta are restoring the forest they need to thrive.

Outside the city, Java’s largest tracts of remaining rainforest are protected in two mountainous national parks: a rich forest ecosystem that provides the primary water catchment for over 20 million people living in five cities, including Jakarta, Indonesia’s bustling capitol.

EXPLORE: Discover the wonders of Indonesia.

Forests and Water

In the rainy seasons, the forests of Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park and Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (collectively known as GeDePaHala) provide protection from sudden flooding as the mountains drain into the rivers and creeks around Jakarta. Several of GeDePaHala’s rivers also continue to flow throughout prolonged dry seasons, providing a form of insurance against drought.

GeDePaHala shelters a number of species – such as the silvery Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), Javan hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi) and a small population of Javan leopards (Panthera pardus ssp. melas), all listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List – that are found nowhere else in the world.

But the forests are struggling. In the past few decades, much of Java’s forest has been converted into farmlands and residential areas. Illegal logging continues in the remaining forested areas, much of it carried out by local people simply trying to make a living.

LEARN MORE: CI collaborates with local people to help protect nature. Find out about how these unique partnerships work.

To restore and protect these forests and their benefits to Java’s people, CI-Indonesia is helping to coordinate a large-scale “Green Wall” program designed to protect and restore this vital ecosystem and the direct human benefits it provides.

A Green Wall for the People of Indonesia

Green Wall projects include replanting trees, a tree adoption program, agroforestry, public outreach and community education. It represents individuals, communities, corporations, and a government working together to recover 10,000 hectares (approximately 25,000 acres, larger than the city of Miami, Florida) of degraded land in the mountains of GeDePaHala.

The restored forests will form “green walls” to buffer the protected national park forests in the future, prevent soil erosion and landslides, protect water sources, contribute to alleviating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and provide various other benefits, including offering a stronghold for biological diversity.

IN-DEPTH: CI works with local communities to create economic opportunities that benefit both humans and nature.

“This action is urgently needed for our safety and livelihood, particularly those who live in the upstream and downstream area”, says Dr. Bambang Sukmananto, former Director of the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. “It is my hope that the initiative could trigger awareness of people living in cities to pay more attention to the conservation of the park,” he adds.

The Pieces of the Puzzle

The Green wall concept combines numerous programs:

• Working with local communities to reforest degraded areas, creating a “green border” that will help secure the expanded park boundaries from encroachment.
• Helping communities generate extra income from forest-friendly crops. Based on local input, reforestation plants will be a mixture of forest woods, productive fruits and rare plants.
• Partnering with religious leaders and Muslim boarding schools to teach conservation of natural resources as divine gifts to be responsibly used for the benefit of current and future generations.
• Educating including local school children, families, community groups, decision makers and corporate executives at the Bodogol Conservation Education Center, which offers guided nature walks, lectures and training courses, as well as laboratory space and accommodations for visiting researchers.
• Encouraging local communities to incorporate conservation into their daily lives through films, discussions, interactive games and puppets – using Javan gibbons as the mascot. With partners, CI-Indonesia also operates a small facility that researches gibbon health, behavior and ecology, and reintroduces the animals into the wild.
• Focusing on the upstream communities, CI-Indonesia complements already-skillful traditional knowledge with modern expertise to encourage better care of the forest.
• The Green Wall program has also established a tree adoption program that allows individuals and corporations to help refresh the forest on which they all rely.

It is only appropriate that the entire region should come together to create a forest – and water-supply saving – “Green Wall.” As Jatna Supriatna, CI’s Regional Vice President for Indonesia, says, “The entirety of GeDePaHala is our responsibility. We have been using the environmental services such as clean air and water for free.”

Now, the people of Jakarta and the surrounding areas are beginning to return that gift.

BUKU EKOLOGI PAPUA VERSI INDONESIA DILUNCURKAN

“Buku pertama yang membahas ekologi tanah Papua secara komprehensif”

JAKARTA—(05 Juni 2012). Tanah Papua diperkirakan memiliki lebih dari 15.000 jenis tumbuhan berpembuluh, sekitar 2.000 jenis anggrek, lebih dari 100 jenis Rhododendron, dan berbagai jenis pohon yang menghasilkan kayu dengan nilai estetika  dan bernilai ekonomi tinggi.  Demikian pula luar biasanya kekayaan fauna. Burung mendominasi vertebrata Papua;  lebih dari 600 jenis yang tercatat, termasuk 25 jenis burung cenderawasih, tiga jenis kasuari dan kira-kira dua lusin beo, merpati, burung pemangsa dan raja-udang.

Adapun jenis mamalia lebih sedikit, tetapi keberadaan populasi mamalia terus terancam akibat perburuan yang terus berlangsung. Codot, kangguru pohon, possum dan tikus paling terwakili di antara 180 atau lebih jenis yang ada. Ada pula hewan amfibi yang mencakup lebih dari 150 jenis katak, yang sebagian besar masih belum dikenal. Sedangkan reptilia terdiri dari dua jenis buaya, 61 jenis ular, 141 jenis kadal dan 11 jenis biawak. 

PELAJARI:  Ekspedisi Mamberamo

Selain itu, Tanah Papua dihuni oleh sekitar 150 jenis ikan air tawar dan lebih dari 2.250 jenis ikan laut. Jelas bahwa daftar ini belum lengkap, karena beberapa jenis baru terus ditemukan dalam beberapa penelitian terkini. Banyak jenis flora dan fauna  ini  merupakan spesies endemic yang hanya ditemukan di Pulau Papua saja , sehingga pulau yang berada di bagian timur Indonesia ini layak disebut sebagai salah satu pusat keanekaragaman hayati tertinggi di dunia. 

Penjelasan tentang hal tersebut terungkap di dalam jilid terakhir Seri Buku Ekologi Indonesia yaitu Ekologi  Papua dalam versi Bahasa Indonesia,  diluncurkan Jum’at (25/5)  oleh Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia(YPOI) bekerjasama dengan  Conservation International Indonesia di kantor Yayasan  Obor Indonesia , di Jakarta. 

LIHAT JUGA: Publikasi CI Indonesia

Buku ini menyajikan paparan lengkap tentang alam asli tanah Papua, dari mulai lingkungan fisik dan geografi, flora dan fauna, ekosistem alami, interaksi manusia dan ekosistem serta upaya konservasi sumber daya alam Papua.  “Ini adalah buku pertama yang membahas ekologi tanah Papua secara komprehensif dan belum pernah ada buku lainnya yang membahas selengkap ini. Oleh karena itu buku ini dapat menjadi literatur utama bagi para peneliti universitas” Kata Ketut Sarjana Putra, Direktur Eksekutif Conservation International (CI) Indonesia.

Selain itu, buku ini sangat bermanfaat sebagai rujukan utama pemerintah Papua dalam menghitung nilai ekonomi kekayaan hayati Papua sehingga kebijakannya tidak menegasikan nilai-nilai lain yang menjamin kelangsungan pembangunan fisik, ekonomi dan sosial di pulau ini.

Tanah Papua merupakan wilayah unik dengan kekayaan alam hayati luar biasa baik di kawasan teresterial, pinggir pantai hingga terumbu karang.  Kekayaan hayati di Tanah Papua merupakan proses warisan alam yang sangat tua dari kawasan bergunung-gunung yang kompleks, hingga kawasan pantai yang  telah memilah penduduk asli yang telah menghuni kawasan tersebut selama sekitar 40 ribu tahun. Hal inilah yang  menjadikan kawasan-kawasan ini memiliki kelompok budaya dan bahasa paling beragam di dunia.

Tidak mengherankan bahwa seorang pakar ilmu alam dan keanekaragaman hayati dari Universitas Harvard, E.O Wilson, sangat mengagumi pulau yang terletak di Indonesia bagian timur ini. “Ukuran pulau yang luas, iklimnya yang konstan dan cocok untuk pertumbuhan vegetasi, topografi yang terjal, dan kedekatannya dengan benua Asia dan Australia membuat pulau ini menjadi pusat tertinggi keanekaragaman  hayati dan manusia.” Demikian kata Wilson, dalam pengantar buku itu.

Buku ini merupakan rangkuman dan terjemahan dua jilid buku versi bahasa Inggris Ecology of Papua yang telah terbit lebih dahulu tahun 2007. Versi dalam bahasa Indonesia setebal 981 halaman ini berisikan kajian literatur terkini yang komprehensif tentang sejarah dan kekayaan alam tanah Papua. 

Melalui dana hibah pemerintah Provinsi Papua (Dinas Pendidikan, Pemuda dan Olahraga) maka  buku Ekologi Papua berbahasa Indonesia dapat diterbitkan bersama Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia. Buku ini merupakan catatan penting alam Papua yang dapat menjadi rujukan para akademisi, praktisi lapangan, peneliti muda, pelajar, pegiat konservasi alam. Bagi para pengambil kebijakan di daerah informasi dalam buku ini dapat menjadi acuan dalam mempertimbangkan berbagai keputusan dalam pengambilan kebijakan.