Jayapura (19/05) — With the large area of forest in Indonesia—more than 25.8 million ha, equal to one third of the total natural forest in the nation—Papua province plays a pivotal role in contributing to Indonesia’s target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In an effort to support the national climate-change mitigation agenda, Jayapura district through its working group for low-emissions development has initiated development of a land-use planning strategy that includes eight steps to reduce emissions.

The working group was established in August 2013 and encompasses 16 institutions: regional working units from the land-based sector, indigenous groups, civil society organizations, academe and the private sector. The group was formed under the aegis of two projects implemented by the World Agroforestry Centre and its partners: the European Union-funded Participatory Monitoring by Civil Society of Land-use Planning for Low-emissions Development Strategies (ParCiMon) and the Danish International Development Agency-funded Locally Appropriate Mitigation Actions in Indonesia (LAMA-I).

Having gone through a series of capacity-building activities to develop land-use planning as well as build its monitoring and evaluation system, on Monday 19 May 2014, the Jayapura working group for low-emissions development initiatives showcased its initial work to a group of local stakeholders at a public consultation. Head of Jayapura District, Mathius Awoitauw SE MSi, officially opened the event at Jayapura District office.

Eight Strategic Steps for Reducing Emissions from the Land-based Sector is the result of a series of activities to understand how to reduce emissions. First, the group made an inventory of emission sources and land allocation in the district then determined the reference emission level and, finally, conducted a series of discussions with local communities.

A technical method called Land-Use Planning for Low-Emissions Development Strategies (LUWES) was used to produce the mitigation strategy developed by the group. Through a participatory process involving various local stakeholders, the working group also designed a monitoring and evaluation system for land-use planning to support low-emissions development.

‘Strategic inputs, including land-use planning scenarios for low-emissions development, are fruitful contributions to developing action plans for reducing emissions at the provincial level that are expected to be adopted at the national level through the National Action Plan for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions’, said the World Agroforestry Centre’s Indonesia Country Coordinator, Dr Sonya Dewi.

In general, the eight steps proposed by the working group focus on two main scenarios: 1) preventing the reduction of carbon stock; and 2) enhancing carbon stock. The emission reduction targeted from those activities is 14% by 2020.

The leader of the Jayapura working group, Yos Levi Yoku, said that to prevent the reduction of carbon stock, maintaining the primary and secondary protected forests of Unurumguay, Yapsi and Kaureh sub-districts and Cyclop Nature Reserve is a priority. The 20,075 ha of Cyclop Nature Reserve situated in Rafeni Rara, Depapre, Sentani Barat, Waibu, Sentani and Sentani Timur sub-districts plays a key role in providing environmental services like carbon, water and biodiversity.

‘Conservation efforts to protect Cyclop are urgently needed. These activities should become our top priority not only because of the abundant environmental services it provides but also owing to the alarming rate of encroachment detected in the area’, she added.

Meanwhile, to enhance carbon stock the working group proposed three main activities: 1) restoration or tree planting; 2) rehabilitation of critical land; and 3) agroforestry in the community plantation area. Restoration activities will be conducted by developing sagoo forest in the planning unit of Sempadan Danau located in Sentani Timur sub-district and planting trees in landslide-prone areas.

Rehabilitation of critical land focuses on the Cyclop Nature Reserve and the production forest in Unurum Guay district where a critical situation exists owing to timber exploitation activities. Meanwhile, agroforestry is implemented by developing economically valuable commodities that are expected to provide both ecological benefits through enhancing carbon stock and economic benefits by supporting the local economy.

‘This initial design of strategic mitigation actions in the land-based sector is expected to make an important contribution to Jayapura in achieving its low-emissions development that incorporates economic growth. In the future, we expect that with the increased capacity of the working group in developing strategy and formulating actions, a reference document outlining land-based development actions in Jayapura will be created’, said the head of the Jayapura Bappeda, Dra. Hanna Hikayobi, who also attended the public consultation.

Various inputs gathered will guide the working group in the process of redeveloping the initial design of the strategy they have created. Furthermore, the public consultation is expected to help secure greater support and stronger commitment to catalyze a better synergy amongst the stakeholders, which is crucial to reducing emissions.