InfoSAWIT, PAPUA – Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) Papua emphasized that Papua Province should commit to protect the forests and environment namely to support the lives of indigenous people in the province.
Executive Director of Walhi Papua, Maikel Primus Peuki told that the forests in Papua are significantly broken because of palm oil plantations, mining, extractive industries, and other investments that got permits from central government.
He thought, the forests in Papua totally laid about 94,1 million hectares or about 50,1of the total forests in Indonesia. The forests in Papua are in primier level that have the highest natural diversity in the world within thousand species, hundreds of birds, mammals, and reptiles.
“The forests are essential for the lives of men, namely as the main sources of living for indigenous people of Papua. That is why, the government should protect the forests in the province by having the real commitment when publishing policies,” he said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Monday (22/4/2024).
He also told that the disentralization in new autonomy in Papua Province triggered polemic in many sectors. He emphasized the province should be committed to protect the environment and forests in the province when having long term – development plans.
In this context, he emphasized it would be significant to involve every related party including civil organizations, environmental organizations, indigenous people of Papua to formulate policy and development plans.
“We hope that every indigenous people in Papua would immediately map and document their region before it is too late from ecology disasters and climate crisis. We would keep encouraging the government to acknowledge and protect the regions where the people cultivate around the forests and small islands’ coasts. We would propose scheme of rescue to solve the bad impacts from climate crisis,” he said.
Walhi Papua wanted to maintain environmental sustainability and the indigenous people’s lives in Papua as part of natural conservation and man’s life globally. (T2)
