TEMPO.CO, Yapen Island, Papua - WWF Indonesia has launched Saireri Expedition to find out the condition of social, economic, land and water environment in Cendrawasih Bay, Papua, with motorboat Gurano Bintang for 21 days, from June 1, 2016.
Communication Coordinator of WWF Indonesia Papua Program Andhiani M Kumalasair told Antara news agency on board of Gurano Bingtang motorboat, Yapen Islands District, Papua on Friday, that the expedition is carried out in Cenderawasih Bay mainly to find the data, to document, to identify environmental issues.
It will also introduce education for sustainable development (ESD) which include environmental education for children in villages covered by the expedition.
The expedition that started in Wasior will cover 10 villages in a number of districts in Cenderawasih Bay in Nabire, Yapen Islands, Biak, Suupuori and Waropen Districts.
Using the indicators of sustainable development goals (SGDs), she said that the expedition is expected to identify the latest, most comprehensive profile and database of social, economic and environmental conditions of the society in the villages.
In addition, she went on, the identification of environmental condition that involve school committees, teachers, community leaders from the beginning of the expedition to the introduction of environmental education for children is expected to provide better results in maintaining the sutainability of Cendrawasih Bay.
Cendrawasih Bay Program Monitoring staff of WWF Papua Program Evi Nurul Ihsan who participated in the expedition said that the program is aimed at supplementing data for the development of WWF work program in Papua.
“At the end of the expedition, we will establish a new office in Biak for community forest program,” he said.
Saireri Expedition with Gurano motorboat, lead by captain Bardin Tandiono, also bring along the Regional Working Unit (SKPD) of Yapen Islands Administration.
Therefore, the program will also be used to discover tourism potential of the districts, according to Willy Brians Worabay, an expert staff for data and information of Tourist Destination Division of Yapen Islands District.
“There are plenty of potential but we haven’t discovered it all due to difficult access and lack of fund. During the program, we have visited some villages and we were able to explore many things to turn into potential tourist destination of the districts,” he said.
According to him Whale Shark and Cendrawasih are Cenderawasih Bay’s most unique biological riches. Moreover, cultural potential of at least 31 tribes in indigenous territory Saireri can also compete with other regions in Papua and West Papua, even Indonesia in tourism sector.
ANTARA
