Forests Source of Wealth for Papua's Local Communities, Says Official

TEMPO.CO, Sentani, Papua - Papua's Office of Forestry and Environment (DKLH) has said that forests constitute a source of wealth for the local communities in the province.

"Papuan people who live in villages still treat forests as their source of life," the head of Papua DKLH, Jan Jap Ormusery, said in Sentani sub-district. Jayapura district, Papua province, on Saturday.

People are still obtaining food, medicines, and other various necessities from natural resources found in forests, he added.

According to him, the province is home to protected forests, nature reserve and conservation areas, permanent production forests, as well as production forests that can be conserved.

"Forests wield economic potential that can be used to elevate the living standard of the people, because forests do not merely serve their purpose as the lungs of the planet, but also as the source of life of communities," he pointed out.

Papuan forest's wealth can be used to fulfill the needs of local residents, especially those living in the forests or their surroundings, he elaborated.

"We are tasked with guiding and inviting the people to jointly optimize the wealth of our forests in a productive, sustainable, and responsible manner," Omusery said.

He informed that the provincial government is working in collaboration with mining company PT Freeport Indonesia to plant as many as 4,655,200 tree seeds on land in Jayapura District.

"We are striving to plant much more trees in order to expand the area of the conservation forest, which, in turn, is expected to help us preserve biodiversity," Omusery explained.

ANTARA

Editor's Choice: Jokowi Inaugurates Papua Street Carnival Today

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News