The international conference on Biodiversity, Ecotourism, and Creative Economy or we called ICBE that was held in Manokwari October, 7 until 10 2018 has the theme is the Province of Sustainable Intelligent Development Solutions in Papua. ICBE 2018 introduces provincial conservation concepts and initiatives as smart solutions for sustainable development in Papua, globally. The concepts that support improvement in people welfare through biodiversity conservation, creative economy, utilization of environmental services, and increased community participation.
West Papua As A Conservation Region
The Governor of West Papua, Dominggus Mandacan, in his remarks revealed that his party encouraged development that paid attention to natural resources, the benefits, and environment for the community. West Papua calls itself as a sustainable province that has prioritized to conservation aspects in its development. The legality is contained in the special regional regulation whose design was launched at the opening of this ICBE.
The submission of the draft of the regional regulation was carried out by Dominggus Mandacan to Pieter Kondjol as a Chair of the Parlement of West Papua Province. The fundamental in safeguarding the ecosystem of West Papua, which, when combined with its neighbor, Papua Province accounts for 50 percent of Indonesia’s biodiversity.
That regulation is also the foundation of the initiative for a review of the West Papua Spatial and Regional Plan that being carried out by the West Papua Province team. The aim is to rearrange the proportion of the protected areas and West Papua forest cultivation which currently has a composition of 36 percent that compared with 64 percent. On the occasion, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the sustainable development between the government of Papua and West Papua Province. In the ICBE conference was announced the commitment of sustainable development was stated.
In this conference, the species of areca nuts and orchids were also introduced. Areca Jokowi, a new type of discovery published in December 2016, it is dedicated to Joko Widodo leadership and his attention about the development of Papua Land. Then the Anggrek Iriana or Bulbophyllum Irianae is dedicated for Iriana as the Jokowi’s wife for her efforts to support and encourage the process of development in Papua and West Papua.
Based on information gathered from the people who brought the areca nut seeds, the species grows in the valley forest with the heigh around 3 hundred meters. The areca nut grows from seeds that brought from the valley forest in the Head of Ima River Water on Mount Daweri, in the near Kampo Kewo on the border of Nabire Regency, in Papua Province. The distribution is known based on two types of Areca Nut cultivated in Kampung Gariau, in Southwest of Yamor Lake, West Papua.
Bulbophyllum Irianae is an endemic species that live as an epiphytic plant in the canopy of primary forests as high as 35 until 40 above the ground. This plant is found in Senggi District, Keerom Regency, Papua Province at an altitude of 300 meters above the sea level. The orchid is found on fallen tree trunks on the edge of the highway, which has flowers over 8 centimeters long. Land Papua estimated to have more than 2.000 species of about 30,000 the species of orchids that have been known in the world.
It should be noted that there is a slight difference in perspective regarding the term of conservation in this program. Usually, the term of conservation is only synonymous with the aspects of preservation of nature. However, more than that, in this program conservation that you can read in Westpapuaindonesia.com, it also will reach another aspect that is directly related to improving the quality of human resources in West Papua.
