A Silver Lining to Restoration in Concession Areas
By ZamzamiThe meeting with all members of Pantau Gambut Network West Papua was held on 19 October 2019 at the Paradisea Foundation’s office in Manokwari. The participants were representatives from institutions included in the Pantau Gambut Network as well as non-member institutions.
In this regional meeting, a representative from Mnukwar explained the result of their analysis by overlaying peatland map and map of concession areas under the administration of Papua and West Papua Province, as well as the result of their identification of overlaying concession permits on peatlands. A representative from Panah Papua also explained the results of their investigation on the soils on concession lands which were claimed to be mineral soils. The laboratory test result showed that the soil was peat soil.
After presenting the results of their activities, the participants discussed the next follow-up plans. We have agreed on the following:
Push for a review of land use permits in West Papua which is related to conservation issues.
Push for making the overlapping peatlands function as protected areas in the regional spatial plan, and formulating the results of overlaying the maps and investigation as a recommendation to revise the regional spatial plan.
Develop creative ideas, such as holding multi-stakeholder (CSOs, relevant local bureaucracy, indigenous peoples, students, companies) meetings to oversee the commitments in protecting peatlands; conducting peatland expeditions in Papua for biodiversity inventory; forming a women's group that cares about peatlands; conducting creative dissemination on the importance of protecting the peatlands; and holding a competition 'Tracking Footprints on Peatlands' to identify animal tracks on peatlands.
Refresh the structure of Pantau Gambut Papua and West Papua to revisit the initial commitments.
Align the work programs between Pantau Gambut Network in Papua and West Papua.
Invite Papua and West Papua and the subregions to discuss the change of the Network Coordinator.