Asmat and The Greater Lorentz Lowlands (GLL)

IPCA’s focus is primarily, but not exclusively, on the Asmat region inside and east of Lorentz National Park. This area, which refers both to the Asmat people and the region they inhabit, has a far higher population density (approximately 70,000 people) compared to other lowland areas of the GLL. Click here to see a map ( 336KB). The destruction or degradation of forests in Asmat areas outside the park would create serious social and economic displacement, more likely increasing destructive resource use in the park itself. Since large areas of Asmat immediately adjacent to the park are designated (though not yet active) logging concessions, the Asmat area of the GLL is clearly the critical keystone in a conservation strategy for lowland Lorentz itself. The priority of Asmat is also due to the greater opportunities to carry out successful work in the area, since Asmat has recently been upgraded to kabupaten (regency) political administrative status.

The Asmat subregion of the GLL overlaps with the Lorentz Park boundaries, and consists of approximately 1.9 million ha of mangrove, freshwater swamp, and lowland rainforest. Approximately one-third of lowland Lorentz lies within traditional Asmat lands.

Areas of Asmat outside of Lorentz were identified as a priority conservation area for Integrated Biological Management in the 1997 Irian Jaya Biodiversity Conservation Priority-Setting Workshop carried out by Conservation International (CI). Areas of Asmat outside park boundaries contain the same Ecoregions as those within Lorentz, but face even higher and immediate threats than for the park itself.

The Asmat people have perhaps the best opportunity of all the Papuan ethnic groups to define and assert their own vision of sustainable development. They sought outside assistance as early as 1991 when an Asmat delegation visited Washington, DC and requested help saving their rainforests. The early investments to Asmat organizations made by the Crosier Catholic Mission and by conservation organizations such as WWF, Kemala, CI, then subsequently by IPCA have nurtured that local commitment to conservation and sustainable development.

 

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