Niken Prathivi and Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua | Sat, 11/14/2009 1:11 PM
Papua, in the eastern part of Indonesia, is the province best prepared to implement the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) scheme, the provincial administration has claimed.
This is possible because of the 42 million hectares of forest, which have the capacity to store 400 tons of carbon per hectare, as well as a high level of biodiversity, officials added.
However, the provincial administration still has to wait for approval from Jakarta in the form of a supporting policy and national-level regulations before implementing REDD projects.
The head of the Papuan Agency for Natural Resources Management and the Environment (BPSDALH), Noak Kapisa, said Friday that the province, along with neighboring West Papua province, was waiting for the central government's authorization and regulations of detailed REDD mechanisms.
"Certainly, we want a clear policy and regulations of REDD activities and incentives," Noak told The Jakarta Post at a four-day International Biodiversity Conference on Sustainable Development in Jayapura.
Noak explained the Papua administration was proposing that more of the incentives from REDD activities be allocated to local people.
"The initial deal was that the policy makers *in the central administration* would earn a higher percentage of incentives than those at the provincial level. But we strongly urge the government to give the extra incentive to local people - those who are directly involved in REDD activities," he added.
He said the initiatives taken by the Papua administration to preserve its environment and cultures were rooted in Papua's special autonomy law and special provincial bylaw.
"The special autonomy law grants local people the right to manage their natural resources, while the special bylaw fully supports local people's use as well as stewardship of forests. because they live in or close to forests," added Noak, who is also the chairman of the biodiversity conference's organizing committee.
Papua is covered by the largest expanse of intact tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia. The forests cover more than 42 million hectares, or 24 percent of Indonesia's total remaining forested area.
Some 85 percent of Papua's forests are classified as intact forests, comprising a mixture of unique Asian and Australian plant species. Almost 60 percent of the mammal population in Papua is endemic to the island, as are more than 40 percent of Papua's birds.
More than 47 percent of Papua's forests are classified as lowland rainforests, which makes the province home to the largest remaining tracts of lowland forest in Indonesia.
Some 57 percent of Papua's production forests, covering more than 9.2 million hectares, have been allocated to 38 large-scale forest concession (HPH) holders . Many of these timber concessions have become inactive in recent years and timber production has consequently declined.
Noak said the Papuan government would review all the HPHs and revoke the permits of inactive concessionaires.
"We hope that Papua will provide a textbook example for any country planning to implement REDD schemes," he said, emphasizing local people's need for training to support the scheme's implementation.
In line with Noak's idea, several Papuans who participated in the conference said that the Jakarta-based central government should grant local people the chance to develop themselves in order to build a better Papua.
"Supporting Papuans in developing themselves is the right step. Giving Papuans the responsibility to learn and take ownership of their own initiatives means we can destroy the perception that Papua lags behind the other provinces in terms of development," Papua Legislative Council Deputy Speaker Frans Wospakrik said.
