The Ecological Impact of Development Projects in West Papua – Papua is one of the areas rich in natural resources in Indonesia. However, this wealth has not been able to be used optimally.
It is not surprising that poverty in Papua has reached a high rate.
Then, now there is the ecological impact of development projects in West Papua which also have an impact on their environment.
The Ecological Impact of Development Projects in West Papua
In fact, this development project can provide great benefits for the Papuan people in advancing all aspects of their lives to make them better.
However, this does not rule out the possibility that this development will actually have an ecological impact on the environment. Here’s information about it!
1. Damaging Forest Ecosystems
In West Papua, damage to forest ecosystems is a result of development efforts.
It is believe that the building of the Trans-Papua road will disrupt sources of subsistence and accelerate the commercialization of the usage of natural resources use by indigenous peoples.
The Trans-Papua road harms forest ecosystems and has an unfavorable effect on environmental sustainability.
An environmental expert claims that this development will actually remove 12.69 hectares of forest cover, and that the ecosystem is located on 4,774 hectares of listed land in a protected forest.
2. Damaging the Environment
It is not only the impact of mining that contributes to a large amount of environmental damage in Papua, but also development projects.
The damage is due to the large-scale disposal of waste into West Papua waters which has polluted the water there. In fact, many people find it difficult to find clean water because of this.
Especially if there is a road construction project is being process by the government. I do not know how much garbage that might have been scatter during the project.
So, it’s not surprising that experts ask the government to carry out projects that are more environmentally friendly.
3. Increasing Pollution
If the construction of the road was successful, of course more and more vehicles would travel along the road.
Indirectly, pollution from these vehicles will also contribute enormous pollution to the people and ecosystems in the forest.
In addition, the noise from vehicles will also disrupt several species of animals in the forest, thus causing the threat of extinction and can disrupt community settlements.
Therefore, a very precise and accurate calculation is need to overcome this.
4. Increasing Climate Change
In fact, this development project plays a major role in climate change which is quite extreme. How could that be?
With the energy use to make this happen, of course more and more gas emissions are produce, causing problems to the surrounding environment.
Not only that, although West Papua is the largest oxygen contributor after Kalimantan.
With this project, it does not rule out the possibility of large-scale deforestation to determine the desired road route.
The ecological impact of development projects in West Papua can actually be overcome by applying or the right way to make it happen.
Apart from that, this project can also help the land of Papua as a whole. So that access to airports and ports is faster, so that various aspects can continue to progress.