Protecting New Guinea’s monsoon forests

THE island of New Guinea’s rare monsoon forests have until now been protected by their isolation. Now, growing demand for timber and other resources means that these little-known forests, and the unique animal, insect, bird and plant species they harbour, face increasing threats.
Monsoon forest is a forest type that depends solely on the monsoon season. Trees and plants here have also developed thick barks compared to other similar species in other forests, as a defensive mechanism against bush fires.
Monsoon forest makes up just 2% of New Guinea’s forests and is found mainly in the southern coast of the island. This forest often merges gradually into grass savanna in the midst of isolated tree stands. In the TransFly region which straddles the Indonesian and Papua New Guinean border these forests are often called dry evergreen forest.
This lowland forest is marked with almost five months of dry season and receives rainfall between 700 and 1000 millimetres annually. This seasonally dry climate is unusual on the island. It has characteristics which it shares with much of Australia, giving rise to different vegetation types such as traditionally useful flora – Eucalyptus, Albizia, Melaleuca and the uncommon Barrintonia asiatica.    
In the TransFly these forests are regarded as having high conservation value due to their fragile wetland landscape and because they harbour globally significant species. These include five endemic mammals, among them, the Papuan planigale, the cat-like Bronze quoll and the Dusky pademelon. There also five endemic birds found here, the Spangled kookaburra, the Little Paradise-kingfisher, the Fly River grassbird, and the Grey-crowned and Black munia.
The Monsoon forests in TransFly region are home to at least 50% of the total bird population of the island of New Guinea including 80 species of birds found only on the island.  
There are also over 60 cultural groups whose lives are linked inextricably with these forests. The cultures here are as unique and precious to future generations, as the habitats and species that mark this place.
Monsoon forests provide an endless list of benefits for the TransFly people who live in its vicinity, surround by a vast wetland which is among the largest and healthiest in the Asia Pacific.
Bark from the Melaleuca tree is used for constructing house walls and as timber. The leaves of the Waria Waria yield an essential oil that is bottled and sold in local markets as an antiseptic medicine.
The animals in the forests are hunted for food, body ornaments or clothing while plant fibres are used to weave baskets and mats. Fruits, nuts and seeds from forest trees and plans are valuable food sources. Services these forests provide is infinite from erosion control to protection from effects of climate change like rising temperatures.
Monsoon forests are part of the TransFly Savanna and Grasslands ecoregion. WWF defines an ecoregion as large units of land or water containing an assemblage of species, natural communities and environment conditions.
The TransFly is an ecoregion programme managed jointly by WWF teams based in western Papua New Guinea and in Papua, Indonesia, and is the first example of a cross-border terrestrial ecoregion programme developed in New Guinea.
“Through this effort, we are tackling issues such as poorly planned commercial forestry and plantation crops, non-traditional burning, infrastructure development and over- exploitation of natural resources on both sides of the border” says Ted Mamu, WWF PNG Terrestrial Programme Manager, and team leader of a 2008 monsoon documentation expedition to the South Fly region.
“There are some threats on the Indonesian side from increased settlements which also pose an indirect risk to PNG’s South Fly district,” Mamu said. “These settlements have resulted in increased hunting, wildlife trade, introduction of exotic weed and fish species, and unsustainable land-use patterns which would only be exacerbated by the planned Trans-Irian highway.”
The TransFly is inhabited by a large number of tribal groups distributed over a wide area. Populations in South Fly are lower than in other parts of PNG, with more than 80% of original habitats still intact.
However WWF’s former TransFly project manager Peter Katapa warns that isolation is not a guarantee that habitats will continue to survive, particularly in resource rich areas. He says sustainable land use planning is essential.   
“The TransFly is currently under pressure from unplanned developments which could see the entire monsoon forest area targeted for logging in both countries, even though much of this forest area is protected in Papua and Western Province” says Peter
“Many leaders and government authorities claim there is no value in the forest unless the forest area is converted into a timber harvesting area. Due to lack of knowledge the government planners and politicians forget the subsistence values and eco system services forests freely provide” says Roy Banka, WWF Ecological Research Coordinator. 
For this reason the communities and governments on both sides of the border gathered   in mid-2006 to help develop a Biodiversity Vision for the entire TransFly Ecoregion. The conference provided a conservation blueprint based on this crucial ecosystem and the need to protect at least 60 per cent of monsoon forests, rather than on political boundaries.
In line with the Transfly vision, the local communities on South Fly launched three new Wildlife Management Areas in September 2007 covering a further 710,000 hectares. When added to the adjacent Tonda WMA and Wasur National Park in Papua almost 2 million hectares of the TransFly will be protected where most of it is the monsoon forest.
In PNG the struggle for development by communities has seen many protected forests reduced to rubble which previously provided at no cost ecosystem services. 
“The heavy reliance on our forests due to lack of basic services into remote locations is putting pressure on new generation of leaders and technocrats, unless forests harvests are properly planned .” says Ted Mamu, who is an expert on PNG’s biodiversity. 
South Fly’s rich natural timber resources and flat landscape is now the focus of attention from the PNG government and stakeholders including the PNG Sustainable Development Program (PNGSDP) who are currently working together to bring development into the area.
 The South Fly district administration has relocated already from Daru Island to Wipim inside the South Fly with a road soon to be constructed from Oriomo to Wipim and eventually reaching Indonesia amid environment and socio-economic concerns raised by the South Fly people.
The people are concerned that increase illegal settlements and trade is imminent when the planned national road is built. With that comes increase modern knowledge, and in such remote place like the South Fly the road could attract logging of its monsoon forests, accelerate deforestation and biodiversity loss, and loss of livelihood for communities.
 However the District Administrator, Michael Viriu is optimistic that threats to the monsoon forest will be minimal while biodiversity and people’s livelihood will not be compromised.
 The administrator and his district planner will be exploring all development options thus reaffirming their district’s commitment to the biological vision of TransFly, which the administrator along with PNGSDP’s rep late Jaru Bisa and reps from PNG Forests Authority attended.
 “Monsoon forest and our unique wildlife will be our focus in exploring eco tourism potential in our 5 year development plan. We are aware about our people’s concerns for their cultural sites, migratory routes and their rich knowledge gained from their forest” assured the administrator. 
The Southern region’s PNG Forests Office Inspection Supervisor Alimel Bellet says they are aware of conservation issues.  “We are aware of high biodiversity areas in PNG especially in South Fly area,” Mr Bellet said. Responding to concerns about the impact of the proposed Wipim-Tapila forest concession in the north of the district, he said: “As long as it’s communicated we will ensure these forests will be confined to sustainable development options.”
WWF Terrestrial Programme Manager Ted Mamu says sustainability is critical. “The future of New Guinea depends on the resources of the island being managed sustainably and through a concerted effort by governments, the private sector, and NGOs will New Guinea keep her monsoon forests protected, and for generations after.”
In New Guinea, forests are home to more than 800 species of birds, unique species of reptiles and amphibians, extraordinary mammals, an estimated 21,000 plant species and an unmatched cultural diversity.
If managed sustainably, experts believe the island’s precious habitats could continue to thrive into the next century, as unlike most other parts of the world.