West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian Carbon Credit and Biodiversity Association, or ICBA, to develop the province’s forest-carbon and biodiversity potential through sustainable, transparent management. The agreement was signed at Mansinam Beach Hotel on Thursday, October 15, 2026, with the stated aim of linking climate protection to fairer economic opportunities for the government, local communities and Indigenous landowners.
The initiative places one of Indonesia’s most forest-rich regions at the center of efforts to protect ecosystems while creating long-term value from conservation.
The partnership reflects a broader development challenge facing West Papua: how to support livelihoods and essential public needs without undermining forests that regulate water systems, store carbon and protect biodiversity. Mandacan said the agreement must move beyond an administrative ceremony, calling for active coordination, clearly divided responsibilities and measurable follow-up among the provincial government, ICBA and other stakeholders.
As adapted from reporting by klikpapua, he emphasized that every institution involved must understand its role and work proactively to turn the cooperation into practical programs.
Turning Forest Protection Into Community Value
At the heart of the agreement is the principle that Indigenous communities must benefit directly from the conservation economy. Indigenous peoples hold customary rights over extensive forest areas and have long lived alongside the forests, rivers and coastal ecosystems that sustain West Papua’s communities.
Mandacan said they should be involved from the earliest planning stages, receive clear explanations of carbon-management mechanisms and understand both their rights and the benefits they can expect.
That emphasis is critical because conservation is difficult to sustain when people living near protected landscapes see few tangible economic gains. Without reliable alternatives, households may be pushed toward logging or other forms of forest exploitation to meet daily needs.
A well-designed carbon scheme, the governor said, should therefore provide economic value to communities while strengthening environmental protection, with open communication and fair benefit-sharing built into the process from the beginning.
Mandacan also called for greater transparency around the financial value generated by Indonesia’s forest conservation, including in West Papua. Local governments and communities need clarity about how carbon benefits are measured, how revenues are generated, what standards apply and how proceeds will be distributed among national authorities, the province, districts and customary-rights holders.
Such transparency would help build public trust, improve accountability and enable communities to participate as informed partners rather than passive recipients of development decisions.
A Conservation Framework for Long-Term Development
West Papua has committed to maintaining 70 percent of its forest area since 2022, a target Mandacan said should guide the province’s development choices. Land may still be needed for settlements, public facilities and government services, but decisions must be measured against long-term ecological limits and the needs of future generations.
The approach positions forests not as obstacles to development, but as strategic natural infrastructure capable of supporting climate resilience, water security, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods.
Recent forest damage and fires in parts of West Papua demonstrate why policy commitments must be matched by operational capacity and cross-sector cooperation. The provincial government has sought support from Indonesia’s national Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency and the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities to assist with weather modification aimed at accelerating rainfall during fire emergencies.
While emergency measures can help protect landscapes under immediate threat, the new partnership points to the importance of prevention, monitoring, community stewardship and coordinated land management.
The governor also highlighted the ecological importance of mangrove forests, which protect coastlines, support fisheries, store carbon and provide benefits extending well beyond individual villages. Safeguarding mangroves alongside inland forests would strengthen West Papua’s wider climate and biodiversity strategy while supporting communities whose incomes depend on coastal resources.
According to reports published by klikpapua, Mandacan wants the cooperation with ICBA to produce more than formal documentation: he is seeking a transparent, sustainable management system that delivers visible benefits to Indigenous communities and reinforces shared responsibility for the province’s forests, rivers and seas.
The next phase will depend on translating the MoU into concrete institutional arrangements, public consultation and credible benefit-sharing mechanisms. If those elements are developed inclusively, forest-carbon finance could complement education, health, connectivity and other regional development priorities without weakening the ecosystems on which they depend.
West Papua’s experience will therefore be watched closely as Indonesia seeks a development model in which climate action, Indigenous rights and inclusive economic growth advance together.
