Mamberamo Foja
| Mamberamo Foja National Park | |
|---|---|
| Taman Nasional Mamberamo Foja | |
IUCN category II (national park) | |
| Location | Papua, Central Papua, and Highland Papua, Indonesia |
| Nearest city | Burmeso (35 km)[1] |
| Coordinates | 2°30′00″S 138°30′00″E / 2.5000°S 138.5000°ECoordinates: 2°30′00″S 138°30′00″E / 2.5000°S 138.5000°E Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
| Area | 1,700,000 ha (6,600 sq mi)[2][1] |
| Established | 15 October 2024[2][3] |
| Governing body | Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of Papua |
Mamberamo Foja National Park (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) is a national park located in the Indonesian provinces of Papua, Central Papua, and Highland Papua on the island of New Guinea.[2] Established on 15 October 2024, it is Indonesia's 57th national park and one of the country's newest protected areas.[2][3][1] The park covers approximately 1.7 million hectares (17,000 km²) around the Foja Mountains and the vast Mamberamo River basin.[1][2]
Formerly the Mamberamo Foja Wildlife Reserve (Suaka Margasatwa Mamberamo Foja), the area was upgraded to national park status to strengthen its protection as a biodiversity stronghold.[2][3] The park is known for its extraordinary biodiversity, including numerous species new to science discovered during expeditions to the Foja Mountains, and has been described as a "lost world" and the "last bastion of biodiversity defense".[1][2][4]
History
The area was originally designated as the Mamberamo Foja Wildlife Reserve (Suaka Margasatwa Mamberamo Foja) in 1982 to protect representative ecosystems of Papua's northern lowlands and the Foja Mountain flora and fauna.[5] The reserve covered approximately 1.76 million hectares across 12 administrative districts in Papua Province.[3]
On 15 October 2024, Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya declared the area as Mamberamo Foja National Park, Indonesia's 57th national park.[2][3] The declaration took place at the National Capital (IKN) in Mentawir, East Kalimantan, and was attended by governors from Papua, Central Papua, and Highland Papua.[3][6] The upgrade was made to bolster conservation efforts, intensify biodiversity protection, strengthen law enforcement, and increase community participation in conservation.[2]
Geography
The national park is situated in the northern part of Papua, just north of the Mamberamo River basin.[1] It encompasses the Foja Mountains, an isolated mountain range that rises to approximately 2,193 metres (7,195 ft) and contains around 3,000 km² of old-growth tropical rainforest.[1][4]
The park's terrain ranges from lowland rainforests and extensive freshwater wetlands in the Mamberamo basin to hill and montane forests on the slopes of the Foja Mountains.[1] The Foja forest tract is the largest tropical forest without roads in the Asia-Pacific region.[4] The park is located approximately 35 km from the town of Burmeso.[1]
Biodiversity
Mamberamo Foja National Park is one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Indonesia. The park has been dubbed a "species generator" due to its extraordinary diversity of wildlife and vegetation.[4][3] It is home to at least 332 bird species and 80 mammal species, with many more yet to be described by science.[4]
Flora
The park encompasses 40 types of ecosystems, including montane rainforests, lowland and hill rainforests, freshwater swamp forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and mangroves.[4][3] Plant species identified include approximately 550 species of plants (excluding palms), 24 species of palms, and various orchids, lichens, mosses, ferns, and rattans.[3][6]
Lowland forests are dense and species-rich, with towering trees, palms, and abundant climbers, while higher elevations support montane forest cloaked in moss, ferns, and epiphytes.[1]
Fauna
The park supports a remarkable New Guinea fauna, including tree kangaroos, cuscus and other marsupials, the long-beaked echidna, deer, and freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus novaeguineae).[1][7][3] The wildlife reserve was specifically established to protect the habitat and existence of freshwater crocodiles.[7]
Recorded fauna includes 225 bird species, 69 mammal species (including deer, tree kangaroos, and various cuscus), 217 butterfly species, 60 herpetofauna species, and 56 aquatic insect species.[3][6]
Birds of paradise and other endemic New Guinea species are characteristic of the highland forests.[1] The Foja Mountains are home to several endemic bird species, including the Golden-fronted Bowerbird (Amblyornis flavifrons) and Berlepsch's Parotia (Parotia berlepschi).
Scientific discoveries
Scientific expeditions to the Foja Mountains from 2005 onward documented numerous species new to science, leading researchers to describe the area as a "lost world".[1][8] Discoveries include a new species of wattled smoky honeyeater (the first new bird species found in New Guinea since 1950), giant rats, pygmy possums, more than 20 new species of frogs, and hundreds of new plants and insects.[1][8][9] Biologist Jared Diamond rediscovered the Golden-fronted Bowerbird, a species not seen for more than 70 years.[8]
Conservation
The park is managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of Papua under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.[3][6] Management strategies emphasize involving indigenous communities and applying local wisdom that has existed in the area for generations.[2]
The park spans 12 administrative districts across Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and Highland Papua Province.[2] Regent of Mamberamo Raya Yimin Weya has requested that the park's management be carried out with the community and that the park help improve local livelihoods and human resource capacity in forestry, conservation, and tourism.[2]
Threats
The park faces threats from infrastructure development, particularly the Trans-Papua Highway, which traverses portions of the area.[4] About a sixth of the Jayapura–Wamena stretch runs through the former wildlife reserve.[4] Experts warn that road paving will encourage greater encroachment into the park, accelerating deforestation, habitat loss for settlements and agriculture, and threatening its biodiversity.[4][10]
Thirty-nine Indigenous communities live within the park boundaries, and their traditional territories and livelihoods are at risk from development pressures.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 "Mamberamo Foja, Indonesia: Ratings & Visitor Guide". International Parks. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 "Mamberamo declared as Indonesia's 57th national park". ANTARA News. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 "Mamberamo Foja di Papua Ditetapkan Jadi Taman Nasional". Kompas (in Bahasa Indonesia). 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 "Road-paving project threatens a wildlife-rich reserve in Indonesia's Papua". Mongabay. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "Papasena's territory lies within the Mamberamo-Foja Wildlife Reserve". CIFOR-ICRAF. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Intip Kekayaan Keanekaragaman Hayati SM Mamberamo Foja yang Resmi Jadi Taman Nasional". Klik Hijau (in Bahasa Indonesia). 2024-10-15. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Population estimation of freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus novaeguineae) and tree vegetation diversity at wildlife reserve of Mamberamo Foja, Papua, Indonesia". FAO. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Calls to conserve biodiversity hotspots". Nature. 2006-02-15. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "One in a Million". Earth Island Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "Massive road project threatens New Guinea's biodiversity". Science. 2021-10-13. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
External links
Media related to Mamberamo Foja National Park at Wikimedia Commons
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