Customary Forests in West Papua: Contestation of Desires or Needs?

The challenge of integrating ecological, economic and social aspects of forest management is still a critical issue among stakeholders who agree on community-based forestry and the rights of indigenous peoples. In West Papua, the contrast of abundant natural resources with serious social inequalities and structured poverty is a continuing challenge for implementing a social forestry program. The process of establishing customary territories in West Papua is an important milestone in recognising its community entities. Is this scheme definitively able to answer the interests of access and management of indigenous peoples? This can help in achieving the sacred goal of protecting 70% of the forest area. This paper examines the dynamics of forest management in West Papua by the parties in customary forests. The low area designated for customary territories in West Papua, which has only reached 2,554.2 hectares, and the absence of a decree on the existence of customary forests is a form of injustice to the interests of local communities. The social forestry acceleration program intended to end the uncertainty surrounding customary forests is still in process. The roles of both on-site and off-site parties have not been optimal in realising customary forests in West Papua due to the complex and incomplete translation process at the site level. The results of the review show that interest is still focused on achieving an indicative-annual figure, which is still dominated by the village forest scheme. Hopefully, this year's acceleration of customary forests will become a milestone in West Papua, based on mutual need and desire

Ethnobotany and conservation applications in the Noken making by the Sougb Tribe of West Papua, Indonesia

Documenting local ecological knowledge is critical for understanding complex ecological-cultural interactions to protect indigenous community entities. Woven baskets known as Noken have been part of Papuan indigenous culture for centuries, yet ethnobotanical aspects of Noken making remain poorly understood. Hence, this study describes Noken-making from an ethnobotanical perspective. We acquired ethnoecological knowledge by interviewing respondents who were actively involved in the production of Noken. The results revealed that the Sougb Tribe (from South Manokwari District, West Papua, Indonesia) utilized pineapple as a primary material for weaving and other natural materials as dyes, with this process undertaken mainly by women. We also document the Sougb Tribe's adaptation and continuous interaction with their dynamic environment that has evolved during Noken's making. Moreover, the recommendation to conserve Noken preserves biocultural diversity and habitats for key plant species. Since Noken has played an essential part in shaping the Sougb Tribe's cultural identity, conserving the use of Noken will aid in preserving the habitats of plants used as materials for Noken. In the future, the provincial government should assist habitat biocultural conservation by granting tribes customary forest status to facilitate plant habitat protection in line with the sustainable development agenda of West Papua Province

Membangun Pemahaman Masyarakat tentang Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Hutan Berbasis Konservasi Melalui Kegiatan Penyuluhan di Kampung Soribo

Hutan di Kampung Soribo merupakan hutan alam yang dapat diakses oleh masyarakat untuk memanfaatkan sumberdaya bagi kebutuhan hidupnya. Aktivitas pemanfaatan dapat bersifat positif dan negatif, maka diperlukan kegiatan penyuluhan bagi masyarakat di Kampung Soribo. Penyuluhan menggunakan metode ceramah dan bertujuan untuk memberikan pemahaman kepada masyarakat tentang pengelolaan sumberdaya hutan berbasis konservasi di Kampung SoriboKegiatan penyuluhan diikuti 30 orang masyarakat dan diawali dengan sambutan dari Kepala Kampung Soribo. Selanjutnya, pemaparan materi oleh tim penyuluh. Kegiatan penyuluhan ini dapat membuka pemahaman masyarat bahwa sumberdaya hutan yang ada di sekitar Kampung Soribo sangat penting bagi kehidupannya. Hal ini terlihat dari hasil kegiatan yang diketahui bahwa 88,2% dapat memahami materi penyuluhan secara baik sedangkan 11,8% kurang memahami secara baik. Oleh sebab itu perlu didukung dengan pengelolaan yang baik terutama pengelolaan hutan yang berbasis pada konservasi

Analisis Pengembangan Potensi Wisata Bukit Aitumeri Kabupaten Teluk Wondama

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui jenis-jenis daya tarik wisata yang terdapat di Bukit Aitumeri dan mengetahui faktor-faktor yang menjadi kendala dalam pengembangan potensi wisata serta alternatif strategi pengembangan ODTW Bukit Aitumeri. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif dengan teknik observasi lapang. Data yang diperoleh kemudian dianalisis faktor internal (kekuatan, kelemahan), dan faktor eksternal (peluang, ancaman) yang ada dengan menggunakan analisis SWOT. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan situasi yang sangat menguntungkan dimana kawasan ini memiliki peluang dan kekuatan yang besar maka pengembangan wisata di Kabupaten Teluk Wondama khususnya di Kampung Miei (Maniwak) mengenai kawasan Bukit Aitumeri dapat dilaksanakan dengan memanfaatkan peluang yang ada. Sejalan dengan perkembangan wilayah maka perlu dibuat strategi yang saling berkaitan antara faktor internal dan eksternal guna mendukung proses pengembangan wisata di kawasan Bukit Aitumeri kampung Miei (Maniwak)