IPCA Program Successes in Asmat
IPCA ’s involvement in Asmat began in early 1999. Since that time, working with our partners in the Asmat Traditional Council (LMAA – Lembaga Musyawarah Adat Asmat) we had several notable successes, including:
- Stopping a destructive 150,000 hectare clear-cut
logging project in central Asmat.
- In consultation with the Merauke Office of
Fisheries, local community rejection of commercial
fishing operation that in its six months of operations
had already begun to deplete Asmat estuarine
fisheries
stocks in western Asmat. This action followed
extensive community consultations facilitated
by IPCA and LMAA and attended and supported by
the Merauke Office of Fisheries.
- LMAA drafted and submitted a report to local government to build support for protected “no-go” fisheries reserve areas, and for local (Asmat) monitoring and enforcement against illegal commercial fishing by outside operators.
- IPCA leveraged an agreement between LMAA and the Danish Embassy and UNESCO to establish a community-based radio network in Asmat that will provide critical news, social, health, education, and environmental information to remote villages.
- IPCA’s provision of salary support, tools and
equipment to LMAA, including an office in Agats,
computer, boat, outboard
engines, Global Positioning
Satellite units, generator, cameras, and other
essential tools.
- Forest tenure maps completed for large areas of Asmat (especially FAR-Joerat and FAR-Bismam areas).
- IPCA training to LMAA and the FAR in critical basic organizational and program skills including project management, strategic planning, financial accounting and reporting, forest and marine resource monitoring, and community resource mapping.
- Facilitation of LMAA’s sosializasi in organizing six local FAR councils. IPCA has also directly facilitated strategic planning exercises with the various FAR. The emergence of the FAR as critical players in mobilizing and articulating support at the grassroots level, and in taking a pro-active role in implementing program work is a key output.
- Reached consensus
on a coherent long-term strategy
that will diversify local economies, enhance local
incentives for sustainable resource use, and to
provide villagers with concrete alternatives to
unsustainable logging and fishing, though assistance
and training in the establishment of sustainable,
community-based microenterprises.
- Program achievements carried out under budget.