In collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Papua Province Forestry and Environment Service held technical guidance for members of the Provincial Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) validation team and prospective KLHS documents creators on 5- 9 July 2021 at Suni Hotel & Convention Abepura, Jayapura, Papua.  This event was a continuation of the previous KLHS preparation training course for the regional mid-term development plan (RPJMD) Working Group from 11 regencies of Papua Province. 

The technical guidance was actively participated by 35 offline participants and 28 online participants, consisted of representatives of  Papua provincial officials (OPD), representatives of Universitas Cenderawasih Jayapura, Universitas Ottow Geissler Jayapura, and Universitas Musamus Merauke. The validation team is established to validate the KLHS document, for various planning documents made by the districts/cities officials, including the regional mid-term development plan (RPJMD)  KLHS documents from 11 regencies as a result of the December 2020 General Election. 

The technical guidance was aimed to elevate the capacity of the provincial KLHS validation team and prospective KLHS documents creators.  The expected output of this technical guidance is that the participants can validate the process, mechanisms and methodologies of creating the KLHS documents are in accordance with the Government's Regulation No. 46 Year 2016 concerning the Implementation of KLHS and other related regulations.  The KLHS documents should depict the commitment of the local government to integrate the principles of sustainable development and the fulfillment of emission reduction targets and low-carbon development planning for Papua Province.

The resource persons in this technical guidance were Erik Teguh Primiantoro, S.Hut, the MES Director of Environmental Impact Prevention for Regional and Sector Policies (PDLKWS); Dr Fatma Djuwita, MSi, the Head of the Intermediate Environmental Impact Management from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK); Mirwansyah Prawiranegara, ST., MSc, the Head of Sub-Directorate for Detailed Spatial Planning for Region II DDL from the Ministry of ATR-BPN; Dr Zulhamsyah Imran, MSc Director of SEAMEO-BIOTROP; and Sri Hidayat, SP, MSi, Director of KLHS Center Squad.

Discussions following the presentation concluded that several benefits of KLHS documents following the applicable regulations are: 1. being an instrument of environmental protection and management that integrates sustainable development principles into planning documents; 2. being the basis for preparing the Initial Draft (Ranwal) of the regional mid-term development plan (RPJMD),  3. being  considered in the formulation of regional development policies and plans, and 4. serving as directions for the making of Regional Action Plans for Sustainable Development Goals (RAD TPB). Given the importance and cruciality of the benefits of KLHS documents for the process of completing the RPJMD document and the sustainability of development activities in the region, the resource persons at the technical guidance really expected that the district governments which have not started the implementation of their RPJMD KLHS, immediately arrange a Working Group for creating KLHS documents and start the process as soon as possible to avoid unfulfilled implementation of development programs and activities in their area.

The Head of the Papua Provincial Office of Forestry and Environment Service Mr Yan Yap L. Ormuseray in his speech emphasized that this technical guidance was held especially to improve the quality of the regional mid-term development plan (RPJMD) KLHS documents from the 11 regencies created by the elected regents from the General Election held on December 9, 2020. Following the applicable laws and regulations, at a maximum of 6 months after the regent's inauguration, the regional mid-term development plan (RPJMD) KLHS documents containing the visions and missions and the priority policy directions of the elected regent must have been approved by the local DPRD as a Regional Regulation. If the RPJMD document has been completed without being accompanied by a validated KLHS document, the RPJMD document of the initial draft of regional regulations  (Ranperda) will not be ratified by the DPRD. In that case, the RPJMD document will be rejected by the Directorate General of Regional Development of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The regents of 7 of these 11 regencies have been inaugurated, namely Keerom, Merauke, Asmat, Bintang Mountains, Waropen, Yahukimo, and Supiori regencies. The other 4 regencies whose regents are still waiting for the inauguration schedule are Boven Digoel, Mamberamo Raya, Nabire, and Yalimo regencies. Of the 11 regencies that hosted General Election in Papua, only Asmat Regency that has validated the RPJMD KLHS documents and is currently making revisions in accordance with the recommendations of the provincial validation team.

Mr Taswin Munier, the GGGI Environment Policy Advisor, added that capacity building in the creation, preparation and validation of the KLHS documents in the Papua Province is part of GGGI's efforts in supporting the Papua Provincial Government to realize its commitment to green growth in line with the vision of sustainable development in Papua or Vision Papua 2100, and the Manokwari Declaration, which was signed on 7 October 2018 concerning Sustainable Development Based on Indigenous Territories in the Land of Papua, with the Common Vision of the Land of Papua, namely: “The Land of Papua is Peaceful, Sustainable, Sustainable and Dignified”.