JAKARTA Indonesia has put nearly a tenth of its national waters, the sixth-largest maritime jurisdiction of any country, under some form of protection. But poor management means these protected areas havent been to achieve their biodiversity conservation goals, a new study says. Indonesias 411 marine protected areas parks, reserves and maritime conservation areas cover a combined surface area of 284,100 square kilometers (109,700 square miles), an area larger than the U.K. For all their size, these MPAs account for less than 9% of Indonesias waters; the country is targeting to expand that coverage to 10% by 2030 and then 30% by 2045 as part of its contribution to the global 30 by 30 conservation goal, which aims to protect 30% of the worlds land and seas by 2030. Despite these lofty goals, none of the existing MPAs has demonstrated effective or sustainable management based on the governments own standards, researchers have found. In addition, the countrys expansion of the MPA network isnt proceeding fast enough to meet the 30% goal by 2045, the researchers wrote in a recently published study in the journal Biological Conservation. Research proved that MPA is one of the most effective tools for fishery management, lead author Lusita Meilana, a postdoctoral researcher at Chinas Xiamen University, told Mongabay in an email. However, the benefit of the MPA to support sustainable fishery shall be seen when they are managed effectively. A lagoon in the Raja Ampat Ampat Islands in Indonesian Papua. Image by RhettThis article was originally published on Mongabay

By New Zealand/Aotearoa for a World BEYOND War, May 18, 2023

A New Zealand peace network says the budgets record military spending will please our most dangerous ally the United States but dramatically increase the risk of propelling us into a nuclear war.

World BEYOND War spokesman and former Disarmament Minister, the Hon. Matt Robson, says the dramatically increased military spending a record $6.6 Billion is not driven by any real security needs but rather that Prime Ministers Ardern and Hipkins signed up to the containment policies of nuclear armed NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation).

The steady increases over the last five years, and the planned future big ticket items to make New Zealand interoperable with NATO, are  justified by the lie that New Zealand is threatened by China and Russia, he says.

The real security threat is New Zealand having a dangerous ally in US- led NATO, which is increasing its  bases and  concentrating its military might on Chinas doorstep, says Mr Robson.

As an Asian partner, along with big military spenders Japan, Australia  and South Korea the price tag of interoperability with  NATO is to continually increase military spending, he says.

Our biggest trading partner China has but two military bases outside of its territory, while the US and its NATO allies have them globally with almost 500, and expanding, in the Pacific.

The US is now seeking to add Papua New Guinea to that list. That tells you which country  is driving militarisation of the Pacific our most dangerous ally, the US, says Mr Robson.

World BEYOND Wars Vice President Liz Remmerswaal says this spending takes away from New Zealands social and economic needs at a time when people are hurting.

We are dealing with the effects of a global pandemic as well as cyclone damage and a climate crises, she says.

New Zealands social and economic development, the basis of our actual security, require cooperation with China on multiple levels, including climate change and development strategies with and for our Pacific neighbours, and this should be our focus, says Mrs Remmerswaal.

Our security is not served by going deeper into the nuclear arms of NATO and being at war with China and Russia.

The...

 Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has arrived in Papua New Guinea and paid a courtesy call to the Government House.

He was welcomed by the Governor General His Excellency Sir Bob Dadae and a traditional Fiji Ceremony by the Fijian Community in Port Moresby.

Mr Rabuka is the first Prime Minister to arrive for the Pacific Leaders Summit, ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. They will be joined by other Pacific islands leaders in the coming days.

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at Government Haus, Photo by Kalang FM

According to statement released by the Fiji government,  Prime Minister Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka is leading a government delegation to Papua New Guinea (PNG) today (18 May) to join other regional leaders at the 3rd Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).

This  also be Hon. Rabuka's first official visit to the worlds third largest island country.

At the invitation of the Prime Minister of India Honourable Shri Narendra Modi, the forum will be an opportunity for Hon. Rabuka to meet with his Indian counterpart to discuss issues of common interest.

Prime Minister Rabuka said he is "looking forward to meeting Hon. Modi at the forum to advance discussions on regional cooperation and the bilateral relations between Fiji and India".

The first FIPIC was held in Fiji in 2015 while the second one took place in Jaipur, India in 2016.

After the FIPIC,  the Pacific leaders will also meet with a high-level delegation from the United States of America where they will discuss key thematic areas of cooperation and challenges critical to the region and the U.S.

Some of these challenges include combating climate change, protecting our maritime resources, and advancing resilient and inclusive economic growth.

The meeting demonstrates the US and Pacifics deep...

Tanjakan Bukit Sino dan Langkanei: Tanjakan Maut Kecamatan Manuhing Raya

Penyunting: Andriani SJ Kusni

Menggunakan bantuan google, saya mencoba mencari Bukit Langkanei dan Sino yang terletak antara Desa Tumbang Mantuhe dan Desa Tumbang Samu, Kecamatan Manuhing Raya, Kabupaten Gunung Mas, Kalimantan Tengah.

Kakek Google menanyakan: Mungkin yang kau maksud adalah Bukit Langkawi, sedangkan tentang Bukit Sino, ia tidak mengatakan apa pun. Artinya Google tidak menyediakan apa saja yang kita cari. Apalagi Bukit Sino dan Langkanei hanyalah dua buah ketinggian kecil yang kemudian dibelah menjadi sebuah jalan tanah. Di kiri kanan, nampak tanah merah yang keras. Tepat di sampingnya, terdapat sebuah sungai kecil yang mengalir di lembah dua ketinggian ini. Sementara jalan tanah dengan kemiringan kurang-lebih 60-70 derajat tidak mempunyai pagar dalam bentuk apa pun juga sehingga kalau pengguna jalan yang berkendaraan jatuh, bukan tidak mungkin mereka bersama kendaraannya akan terguling-guling masuk sungai di dasar lembah.

Sampai hari ini, sudah kurang-lebih enam tahun saya bekerja di daerah perdesaan Kecamatan Manuhing Raya. Selama itu pula saya bolak-balik melalui tanjakan terjal Bukit Sino dan Langkanei ini.

Tahun-tahun pertama, ketika menuju Tumbang Mantuhe dari Palangka Raya, kendaraan roda empat kami sering harus didorong atau ditarik oleh kendaraan lain karena terperangkap lumpur dalam sepaha yang dalam bahasa Dayak Ngaju disebut tapatak. Oleh sebab itu saban pergi ke desa, kami selalu membawa tali besar sebesar lengan kanak-kanak atau sebesar tali pengikat kapal atau kapal penyeberang. Tali ini memperlihatkan efektivitas perannya pada saat kami tapatak.

Saban tapatak, teman-teman seperjalanan, selalu mengganggu saya dengan pertanyaan canda: Apa yang kau cari, Kusni, usia sudah lanjut masih saja memilih hidup tak nyaman, masih berkubang lumpur dan berkuyup-kuyup dalam hujan, terbakar dipanggang terik matahari?

Dengan suara seperti bicara pada diri sendiri, seloroh itu selalu saya jawab: Dayak itu dikutuk jadi petarung. Jangan sebut diri Dayak kalau berhenti bertarung dan minta pensiun. Jawaban ini kemudian senantiasa dijawab dengan gelak-bahak.

Canda adalah salah satu cara kami saling menghibur, saling mendorong, menjaga pilihan dalam hidup yang singkat. Hujan dan lumpur merupakan salah satu penguji ketetapan hati kami pada pilihan: Ikut serta memberdayakan masyarakat perdesaan. Saya membayangkan betapa wajah Kalimantan Tengah dan Indonesia akan berubah ketika desa-desanya berkembang maju. Desakota-desakota bertumbuh. Perbedaan antara kota dan desa menciut seiring berpadunya kerja-otak dan kerja-badan.

Hujan dan lumpur membuat tanjakan terjal Bukit Sino dan Langkanei berlubang besar, lebih besar dari ban mobil. Karena tidak diaspal, hujan membuat ja...