In order to prepare a selection process for facilitators who will work in supported villages, the Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA) and FORCLIME held a joint meeting on 16 February 2022 at the BBKSDA Office in Jayapura City, Papua. In addition to the FORCLIME Papua Team, the meeting was also attended by the Head of the Program and Cooperation Unit, Mrs Rian Agustina, SpPt., M.I.L., as well as the Head of the Utilization and Service unit, Mr Julius Palita, S.Hut. and Mr. Chandra Irwanto Lumban Gaol, S. Hut., Forestry Extension Officer for Papua BBKSDA. This meeting was organized in order to prepare for the implementation of FORCLIME activities that will support the work of BBKSDA Papua in two selected villages within the CA Cycloop - Youtefa area, specifically the villages of Tablasupa and Dosay in Jayapura Regency.

In order to facilitate the implementation of joint activities across these two villages, village facilitators will be recruited who will be responsible for providing assistance and monitoring the implementation of said joint activities. A number of younger candidate facilitators will be selected who have a technical background in forestry and/or natural knowledge. In addition, a number of facilitators who have experience in mentoring activities will be working in the two BBKSDA target villages and will help to develop and implement the Community Self-Subsistence Forestry Extension Program (Penyuluh Kehutanan Swadaya Masyarakat - PKSM).

After potential facilitators have been sourced and the selection processes have been completed, recommendations for village facilitators are set to be submitted in early March.

For more information, please contact:
Rut M Ohoiwutun, Junior Advisor for Community Forestry and Customary Forest, Papua
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager, Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua and West Papua Provinces

Created: 21 February 2022

The Forestry and Environment Service of Papua Province (DKLH Papua) and FORCLIME recently agreed to designate Babrongko Village in Distrik Ebugfauw, Jayapura Regency as a joint target village. In line with this decision, DKLH Papua and FORCLIME held an online meeting on 15 February 2022 in order to discuss the various joint activities that will be carried out in the village. The meeting was opened by the Head of Forestry Planning Division of the Forestry and Environment Service of Papua Province, Dr Estiko Tri Wiradyo, SH. M.Si. During the meeting, after Babrongko had been designated as a target village, a follow-up plan was discussed which included the following elements:
- Field visits in order to collect potential data and socio-economic-cultural data as a basis for program development.
- Recruitment of village facilitators.
- Support from FORCLIME relating to group organizational development, group capacity building for potential product development and ecotourism-related promotions.

The village of Babrongko has been assisted by DKLH Papua since 2012. During the intervening years, a number of programmes have been implemented in conjunction with the local community, including the mapping of an 18 ha sago forest covering the villages of Bhaborongko and Simporo, and the production of Kombo wood, which is used to produce bark for carving. In addition, DKLH Papua has also mapped several customary areas, including customary forests in Babrongko.

The village of Babrongko has various development potentials, including ecotourism. In this regard, the village is host to the playing ground of the famous Cenderawasih bird (the bird of paradise), has a natural sago forest that can be developed for trekking, as well as a lake landscape that boasts views of the Cyclops Mountains. In addition, the area is also home to fascinating traditional arts and culture. Babrongko also has freshwater fish potential and is particularly suited to the snakehead fish, an endemic biota of Lake Sentani which can be farmed.

This coordination meeting will be followed up by a field visit during which potential data and socio-economic-cultural data will be collected and the recruitment process for village facilitators will be implemented.

For more information, please contact:
Theodora F. Resubun, Advisor for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua Province
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua and West Papua Provinces

Created: 21 February 2022

In order to commemorate World Wetlands Day 2022, which takes place on 2 February, the Papuan Provincial Government organized various events that ran from 21 January to 2 February 2022. This year, World Wetlands Day ran under a theme of 'Wetland Action for People and Nature’. This celebration of World Wetlands Day was the perfect occasion on which to raise awareness of the importance of wetlands in terms of the conservation of biodiversity and climate change. On the agenda during this year’s celebration were the dissemination of information to students and nature lovers about the Ramsar site, migratory bird watching and a drawing competition for elementary school students.

The main celebration of World Wetlands Day was held on 2 February in Wasur National Park’s camping ground in Merauke Regency, Papua Province and was attended by the Deputy Regent of Merauke Regency, H. Riduan, S.Sos., M.Pd. The event featured various activities, including the planting of eucalyptus trees and releases of wild animals by the Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA) in Rawa Biru. Among the animals released were 300 Irian Arowanas (Scleropages jardinii) from the provision for the 2021 catch quota, nine long-necked Papuan tortoises (Chelodina novaeguineae) which had been translocated from Jakarta in 2021, three Soa Payung (Chlamydosaurus kingii) and eight blue-tongued lizards (Tiliqua gigas), which had been translocated from South Sumatra in 2021.

During the main event, the Deputy Regent of Merauke pledged the commitment of the Merauke Regency Government to building synergies with Wasur National Park as regards the development of nature-based tourism and products within the Wasur National Park area. This commitment was formalised through the signing of a commitment document by stakeholders expressing support for the management and protection of wetlands within Wasur National Park.

Wasur National Park features the largest wetlands in Papua Province, which span an area that plays a vital role in protecting the sustainability and function of wetlands and that also plays an important role as a stopover and migration destination for migratory birds. Through the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 48 of 1991, Wasur National Park officially became part of the Ramsar site (International Convention on the Conservation of Wetlands of Important Value) on March 16, 2006.

During the event, Wasur National Park also engaged in the promotion of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) developed by various customary communities that are partnering up with the national park. The development of NTFPs and the environmental services carried out by these community groups have become a driving force and motivating factor as a source of creative economic activities that provide economic benefits for supported community groups.

For more information, please contact:
Ruben Yogi, Junior Adviser for GIS and Forest Mapping
Theodora F. Resubun, Advisor for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua Province
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua and West Papua Provinces

Created: 10 February 2022