17 Nov 2009

Papua conference to focus on the importance of the province's forests to Indonesia's health

2:23 pm on 17 November 2009

The Governor of the Indonesian province of Papua, Barnabas Suebu says he hopes a conference on sustainable development this week will inspire real action and bring fresh ideas on how to combat climate change.

The first Papua International Biodiversity Convention for sustainable development last week in Jayapura was to prepare recommendations and a road map to be presented at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen next month.

The Jakarta Post reports Mr Suebu saying Indonesia is now heavily dependent on Papua's forests for biodiversity and oxygen supply and so the conference would emphasise the preservation of the province's forests.

Papua has a total of more than 41 million hectares of forests with half set aside for conservation and around a fifth of the total area earmarked as suitable for sustainable oil palm production.

He also says Papua has started a policy of planting 10 trees for every tree felled.

The West Papua Governor Abraham Oktavianus says Papua is a standard bearer of global forest conservation and something must be done to avoid the possible destruction of it's forests.