In an effort to preserve global biodiversity, Indonesia, through the National Agency for Research and Innovation (BRIN), has officially proposed the Raja Ampat region as a candidate for UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program. The official proposal was presented during a public consultation and knowledge forum held on September 24, 2024 in Wasai, Raja Ampat.
Maman Turjaman, senior researcher at BRIN and chairwoman of the Indonesian National Committee of MAB-UNESCO, stated that the foremost goal of this proposal is to attain a balance between nature conservation and community development, contributing to sustainable development within the region.
According to Maman Turjaman, Raja Ampat is home to among the most extraordinary marine biodiversity on the earth. If designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, management of the realm would require close collaboration between the federal government, indigenous communities, businesses, civil society organizations and experts.
Maman emphasized that getting the status of a Biosphere Reserve won’t change local authorities, but will strengthen cooperation in protecting ecosystems and ensuring economic and social stability. Leadership will prioritize local wisdom with the support of regional governments and indigenous communities.
The application process began last 12 months and involved community discussions and opening up opportunities to enhance living conditions through sustainable tourism and fishing. In addition to nature conservation, this status will even improve prosperity through environmentally friendly tourism and sustainable fisheries management.
With this appointment, Raja Ampat will even grow to be a world research center on biodiversity and climate change and function a worldwide conservation model. It is hoped that Raja Ampat shall be officially designated as Papua’s first biosphere reserve in 2025 on the MAB-UNESCO meeting in Hangzhou, China.
Mapping UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Indonesia
Indonesia has 20 UNESCO-listed biosphere reserves out of a complete of 748, spread over 134 countries. These biosphere reserves play a key role in protecting biodiversity-rich tropical forests and function globally recognized centers of environmental stewardship.
Each biosphere reserve is subject to periodic reviews every 10 years to make sure effective management. This 12 months, seven Indonesian biosphere reserves, including Leuser, Bromo Tengger-Semeru and Komodo, must submit the outcomes of their reviews.
With a major variety of biosphere reserves, Indonesia is a pacesetter in protecting tropical forest ecosystems. Biosphere reserves function living laboratories where environmental research and resource management align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), balancing ecological, economic and social interests.
