The West Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA), one of the technical implementing units of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry that operates within West Papua Province, functions across a working area that comprises 28 specific conservation areas, both seascapes and natural landscapes. These conservation areas cover a total of around 1.7 million hectares, are located in the two provinces of West Papua and Southwest Papua and include various ecosystems that are rich in biodiversity and their relevant ecosystems. In addition, this area is inhabited by traditional peoples that lead diverse socio-cultural lives, while the natural and socio-cultural wealth of the area is considered an important asset that should be preserved and promoted among the wider community.

One effective form of promotion in this context is publication. As a result, FORCLIME is supporting BBKSDA West Papua as it publishes a new book on biodiversity and the local ecosystem entitled: Encyclopedia of Conservation Areas in the Bird's Head New Guinea: Biological and Ecosystem Diversities, which was launched on 12 July 2024 in Sorong, Southwest Papua by the Director of Species and Genetic Biodiversity Conservation at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Nunu Anugrah, S.Hut., M.Sc., and which was witnessed by Assistant III of the Regional Secretary of Southwest Papua Province, dra. Atika Rafika, M.Si, and the Head of the Regional Research and Innovation Agency of West Papua Province, Prof. Dr. Charlie D. Heatubun, M.Sc., FLS.

This book features general explanations of the 28 conservation areas that are being managed by the West Papua BBKSDA. These explanations are complemented by information and photographs of endemic and rare flora and fauna, including a number of critically endangered species such as the famous egg-laying mammal, the western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii), as well as the Raja Ampat endemic red bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea rubra), the lesser yellow bird-of-paradise (Paradisea minor), the bald bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus respublica), the wiratno orchid (Bulbophyllum wiratnoi), the moi orchid (Dendrobium moiorum) and the Whitten orchid, which is endemic to the Karst (Bulbophyllum whitteniorum).

This book is expected to become a useful resource among the wider community and is likely to be used by researchers, policymakers, tourists, NGOs, universities and so on.

For more information, please contact:
Laurensia Mapandin, Junior Adviser for Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Tanah Papua