The debate on regional development is not only about the construction of high-rise buildings, infrastructure or roads. When we talk about development in certain areas, like Papua, development includes conservation. The special autonomy that exists in Papua also dictates how development must be sustainable. This means that when development involves the exploitation of nature, there needs to be a process to protect nature in order to build the future. Papua, with abundant natural resources, is considered suitable for the implementation of a special autonomy government focused on sustainable development.
Papua’s natural resources are synonymous with protected forests that are still beautiful and protected by local indigenous communities. Including forest areas listed by the government as protected forest areas that contain flora and fauna that need to be protected and protected. In fact, indigenous peoples are considered the most suitable for sustainable development. Indigenous, also local people have protected nature since ancient times. Not only do they protect nature, but they can also live off the products of protected nature. The customs they follow are based on the belief that nature, especially the common forests, must continue to support them and there is also reciprocity, namely that they must be able to preserve life-giving nature.
The government of Papua is supported by municipalities that practice sustainable development and protect nature. Therefore, the government is trying to empower indigenous communities through the creation of Forest Farmer Groups. The goal of creating a group of forest farmers is to help people achieve prosperity in their lives and at the same time to ease the responsibility of nature conservation. Various factors such as weather and global warming certainly affect preservation. Including the destruction of flora and fauna in protected forests that fall under indigenous territories. The government does not want further extinctions to occur when the indigenous people do not currently know how to protect nature.
The government continues to provide conservation assistance to indigenous peoples. Starting with sharing knowledge through workshops related to forest protection and forest use, providing tools to support community production, such as vehicles for transporting forest products. The government also provides equipment that can be used to monitor the condition of flora and fauna, such as tools to detect the presence of rare animals, cameras, telescopes and, of course, communication devices to facilitate communication between municipalities and the government to report directly about the situation.
Forest farmer groups bring great benefits to all parties. The existence of forestry groups allows indigenous peoples to receive assistance in improving their well-being and helping to preserve the nature that they have protected since the time of their ancestors. For the government, the implementation of sustainable development in the Papua Special Autonomous Region is progressing well, considering the benefits it brings.
