On 19 October 2015, the Government of West Papua, Indonesia declared the Conservation Province, showed commitment to maintaining ecological balance while creating sustainable livelihood and achieving sustainable development. It is a policy blueprint that embraces nature conservation as the foundation for economic development in West Papua.
West Papua is one of the world’s most biodiverse places. With more than 80% forest, this province is one of the last large tropical rainforests on the planet, and it is also important to the world’s epicentre of marine biodiversity. It also houses vast stores of carbon in its forests and mangroves.
The designation alone is not conservation success – we still have to make it work on the ground. But it is a huge opportunity. Perhaps the biggest conservation opportunity in the world right now.
Click here to see short video about Conservation Province.
See some related blog posts about Conservation Province in here.
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