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.

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