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Recently, questions were raised about the safety of the people living in Indonesia's Komodo National Park, where a company funded by The Nature Conservancy and the World Bank manages ecotourism.
In particular, concerns were raised that the company — Putri Naga Komodo (PNK) — may be insensitive to dangers posed by the park's famed Komodo dragons and to local concerns about efforts to implement new community development, tourism and resource conservation programs.
The Conservancy and PNK place the highest priority on the well-being of the people living in and around Komodo National Park, and have worked tirelessly on a number of fronts — including systematically soliciting local input — to increase sustainable livelihoods for Komodo's residents as well as protecting the natural treasures of this unique place.
Nature.org asked Rili Djohani, director of The Nature Conservancy in Indonesia, to elaborate on the Conservancy's activities in Komodo National Park and how we work there for people and nature.
Nature.org: Are Komodo Dragon populations increasing? Are Komodo Dragon attacks increasing?.
Rili Djohani: Komodo Dragon populations and the number of attacks have remained stable over the past decade. Since the park’s establishment nearly 30 years ago, there have been two tragic and fatal attacks by Komodo dragons.
What has grown exponentially, however, is the human population of the villages over the last two decades. The area — and population — of Komodo village, for example, has more than doubled in the last 13 years.
Nature.org: What is being done to keep villagers safe?
Rili Djohani: We are committed to working with local villagers, the government and visitors to improve safety in and around Komodo National Park.
After the tragic death of a young boy in 2007 because of a dragon attack, PNK worked in collaboration with the Indonesian Park Authority and local villages to design a dragon-excluding fence and allocated funds to build it.
The issue of the fence is currently being discussed by the local government, the Indonesian Park Authority and the villagers to ensure that locals retain access to the national park. Once an agreement is reached, the fence will be built.
Nature.org: Why have practices such as goat feeding, poaching and keeping dogs for protection been banned?
Rili Djohani: The decision to ban activities such as feeding goats to Komodo dragons, hunting of deer and the keeping of dogs as pets within the national park were made by the Indonesian government.
According to the Indonesian Government, it is illegal to keep pets in a national park. Dogs were found to carry highly infectious diseases that are a threat to the native animals within the parks.
Feeding goats to Komodo dragons is dangerous because it allows dragons to become habituated to the areas that tourists visit or villagers live. Its ban is also important to preserve the natural behavior of the dragon.
Nature.org: What is local support been like for PNK and the Conservancy in Komodo? How is local input into the management of the park's ecotourism received?
Rili Djohani: We have a number of recent public opinion studies that show that local people overwhelmingly favor our efforts to protect the park for future generations.
I want to be clear: The Nature Conservancy and Putri Naga Komodo (PNK) place the highest priority on the well-being of the people living in and around Indonesia's Komodo National Park. The opinions and perspectives of the people that live in and around Komodo are critical components of every decision PNK makes.
Last year, a community-based advisory body and grievance mechanism, the Forum for Community Consultations (FCC) was established. We also have dedicated community outreach staff who live and work alongside the residents of park villages.
“The Nature Conservancy and Putri Naga Komodo (PNK) place the highest priority on the well-being of the people living in and around Indonesia's Komodo National Park.”— Rili Djohani, director of The Nature Conservancy in Indonesia |
Nature.org: What else are we doing to help Komodo's local people?
Rili Djohani: The Conservancy and PNK have collaborated closely with local villages and invested millions of dollars toward the goal of creating a self-sustaining park that benefits local people — not only by protecting natural resources, but also by allocating funds to build five new schools, dig new drinking water wells, launch a free mobile doctor service and develop reliable sources of income. Community development is one of PNK’s highest priorities.
Since 1995, the Conservancy, local villages, and the Indonesian Park Authority have been working to protect Komodo’s diverse ecosystems from a variety of threats, including destructive fishing practices, which have severely damaged the park’s coral reefs and fish populations.
One of the three integrated strategies to manage the park is to develop sustainable, alternative livelihoods and several projects have taken hold in recent years — from souvenir production, seaweed cultivation, woodcarving and a facility to breed prized reef fish (such as grouper and wrasse) as an alternative to fishing threatened wild fish populations.
In 2006, PNK was also able to restructure admission fees to Komodo Park so that increased tourism revenues (US$15 for foreign visitors) could be used to fund the conservation of the park’s unique natural resources while at the same time providing long-term economic benefits for the local people who rely on access to them.
These funds are today being used to benefit and support conservation, community development and nature-based tourism infrastructure and product development.
Nature.org: What are our hopes for the future of the park?
Rili Djohani: Transforming Komodo into a long-term, sustainable resource will take time, more community engagement and the support of partners across the board — from local villagers and government leaders to international foundations and financial institutions.
The Conservancy began working in and around Komodo more than a decade ago. Tremendous progress has been made in improving the quality of life of local peoples, ending the use of blast and cyanide fishing practices and restoring damaged coral reefs. As a result, efforts to conserve the resources village residents depend on for survival, such as healthy stocks of fish, enjoy broad local support.
We are committed to working collaboratively with local villagers, the government of Indonesia and park visitors to improve safety, enhance the well-being of local people and conserve the remarkable natural resources of Komodo National Park.
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Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Andy Drumm (Komodo Dragon in Komodo National Park); Photo © Jez O'Hare (Rili Djohani, director of The Nature Conservancy in Indonesia).
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