20 Local Institutions in West Papua Receive BAF Funding
The main objective of this initiative is to ensure the sustainable management of the Bird's Head Seascape.
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Date:
02 Apr 2019 -
Author:
KEHATI
In the second cycle of 2019, the Blue Abadi Fund (BAF) program has provided grant funding to 20 local institutions in West Papua Province. The main objective of this initiative is to ensure the sustainable management of the Bird’s Head Seascape. The Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (KEHATI) Sorong has been entrusted with the distribution of the BAF funding to these local institutions, serving as the fund administrator.
Eddy Sahputra, the Sorong Office Coordinator of KEHATI, has confirmed that the agreement for the BAF grant program was signed by over 20 local partners in West Papua on March 21, 2019. He further mentioned that a total of Rp25.2 billion has been allocated for the second cycle of 2019 and is readily available for disbursement to the 20 local partner institutions. These funds will be utilized to support the implementation of their respective work programs.
He stated that the goal of the Blue Abadi Fund program is to provide support for West Papua as a conservation province, as declared by the Governor of West Papua on October 19, 2015. He elaborated that the Marine Conservation Area of Kepala Burung Archipelago (BLKB) spans across West Papua and a portion of Papua Province, encompassing over 22 million hectares, which includes Cenderawasih Bay, Raja Ampat Regency, Fakfak Regency, and Kaimana Regency.
According to him, this area holds immense significance as the epicenter of the coral triangle and the global hotspot of marine biodiversity. It is also responsible for sheltering 75% of the world’s coral species. Unfortunately, as Eddy mentioned, the BLKB area faces multiple threats, such as the exploitation of its natural resources.
Moreover, the BLKB area is at great risk of losing its precious and charismatic species.
“The threat not only poses an ecological distress but also affects the communities who reside and depend on the area,” he stated.
It was mentioned that the collaboration for the management of the BLKB area had commenced in 2001 by Conservation International (CI) Indonesia, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and WWF-Indonesia, in partnership with various local stakeholders, local government, and universities. He further added that in February 2017, the consortium launched the BAF program as a sustainable and long-term funding model for the BLKB area. As the fund manager sourced from BAF, Yayasan KEHATI has disbursed over Rp26 billion rupiah in the first cycle, which spanned from July 2017 to December 2018, to a total of 23 partners in the BLKB area.
“In the launch of BAF funding cycle two 2019, a total of approximately Rp25.2 billion in support funds will be distributed to 20 local partners operating in West Papua Province. The funding support in both initial cycles is provided by USAID grants to BAF through Conservation International,” stated the representative.