Papua forest (IST)
Merauke, Jubi (19/5)- Parts of Merauke Regency areas will be converted into the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy (MIFEE) Program, an environmental activist said.
The forest areas within this regency will be opened at large scale and converted into plantation and agricultural areas, said the Coordinator of WWF Southern Papua Region, Paschalina Rahawarin in a press release received by tabloidjubi.com on Monday (19/5). The updated data from the Regional Investment Body of Merauke Regency showed 35 private companies are currently working though their permits that have been overdue and canceled.
However, Rahawarin said, about 50% of those companies work on the non-food forestry, contributing to the acceleration of deforestation. Therefore she said the establishment of the Regional Action Plan Strategy of Merauke Regency was very urgent. She further said the recent activities involving three regencies including Merauke, Asmat (Province Papua) and Tambrauw (Province West Papua) would be able to result in an Action Plan Strategy, especially to address the strategic issues such as deforestation and forests’ degradation.
She added that WWF through its several program activities in those three regions has participated to promote the action plan in the regency level. And the government as the local partner certainly needs to be involved as the main responsible of the planning and the implementation of program activities.
Meanwhile an advisor to Merauke Regent BL Tobing saidin his speech that he hoped the undertaken activity could contribute to better and more efficient forest management. (Jubi/Frans L Kobun)
