As part of efforts to encourage sustainable environmental and forestry management in Merauke Regency, the Papua Wasur Lestari Foundation (YWLP) in collaboration with the Regional Research and Information Center (PATTIRO), held a Workshop and Training on Ecology-Based District Budget Transfers (TAKE) in Merauke Regency. , Tuesday (1/8) at Halogen Hotel Merauke.
The TAKE implementation scheme is an incentive scheme provided by the District Government to villages that maintain environmental sustainability through financial assistance instruments that are already running. The TAKE policy is an effort to manage natural resources in a sustainable manner, preserve forests and empower indigenous and tribal peoples. In this case, indigenous peoples who still depend on nature are not yet aware of the impact of their next life if natural resources are not managed properly. One example is the sale of timber from forest products by indigenous peoples on a large scale without reforestation, instead they don’t get any return in the future.
In the presence of the Regent of Merauke Regency, Romanus Mbaraka, Merauke Regency OPD leaders, environmental partners, traditional community leaders, and women leaders. This explains that the TAKE policy in sustainable natural resource management is very important, and its implementation requires the cooperation of all parties, including the village government, which works at the site level and interacts directly with the community.
This was also confirmed by the Regent of Merauke, Romanus Mbaraka, who conveyed that all parties need to work together, including studying changes to budget regulations and budget rationalization. For this reason, activity participants participate in the discussion because it will have an impact on budget allocations for the environment.
“So to get the budget there must be indicators, one of which is environmentally friendly must be good. Therefore the balance of the environment in development is very important and must receive special attention,” said Romanus.
The director of the Wasul Lestari Papua Foundation, Paschalina Raharwin said, for the Papua region, Merauke Regency is the second area to hold TAKE after Jayapura. TAKE training in Jayapura Regency since 2019 until now, has succeeded in producing several environmental sustainability regulations that have an impact on village budgets. This is a good example for Merauke Regency to do the same. Moreover, the TAKE program can promote Forest Friendly policies through Multi Stakeholder Forum (MSF) activities in encouraging policies and practices of sustainable management of forests and natural resources.
“The TAKE program aims to promote forest-friendly policies through Multi Stakeholder Forum (MSF) activities as an effort to encourage policies and practices of sustainable land forest management and sustainable natural resource management, forest conservation, and empowerment of indigenous and tribal peoples,” said Paschalina.
PATTIRO Executive Director, Bejo Untung, also added that the TAKE training is also an innovation in a government that can be used as a form of financial management in various indicators.
“Basically, TAKE is an innovation in a government that can be used as a form of financial management in various indicators,” said Bejo Untung.
At the end of the training activity, the Workshop and Training on Ecology-Based District Budget Transfers (TAKE) in Merauke Regency were able to provide participants with an understanding of the concept and practice of implementing TAKE as part of the agenda of promoting sustainable environmental and forestry management; able to allocate TAKE that is even and fair in each village oriented towards equity and justice; able to identify indicators and variables used in calculating TAKE based on conditions in Merauke Regency; and able to build cooperation with stakeholders in encouraging TAKE in Merauke Regency.
