Papuan Mangrove Crisis: Indonesian Women Battle Development and Pollution Threats

In the city of Jayapura, located on the southeastern coast of Indonesia, Petronela Merauje goes door to door in her water-based community, encouraging local women to accompany her to the nearby mangrove forests the following morning.

In Enggros, a village with a population of 700 Papuans, Merauje and other women continue the six-generation-old tradition called Tonotwiyat, which translates to “working in the forest.” Here, they engage in activities like clam gathering, fishing, and collecting firewood amidst the mangroves.

Merauje explains that in their culture, particularly in Enggros, women are traditionally excluded from speaking at village meetings. The mangrove forest, provided by the tribal elders, serves as a space for women to gather food, share stories, and sustain their livelihoods daily. This forest, located merely 13 kilometers from downtown Jayapura—the capital of Papua and Indonesia’s easternmost province—has been officially designated as the women’s forest since 2016, although it has long been a female-exclusive area.

However, the threats of pollution, development, and biodiversity loss are reducing the size of this vital space, jeopardizing an essential aspect of their cultural and economic existence. Efforts to protect the forest are underway but remain limited.

Distinct Spaces for Women Are Diminishing

One morning, Merauje, alongside her 15-year-old daughter, journeyed by motorboat to the forest. Immersed up to their chests in the waters of Youtefa Bay, they searched the muddy bottom for bia noor, or soft-shell clams, using their feet. These clams, along with other fish, are collected for sustenance.

“The women’s forest acts as our kitchen,” states Berta Sanyi, another resident from Enggros. That day, while some women gathered firewood, others, including women from the nearby village of Tobati, joined in rowboats. Despite being only 2 kilometers apart, Enggros and Tobati share cultural similarities and historically, Enggros was formed from Tobati’s populace. The forest provides a safe space for women from both villages to discuss personal and communal issues.

Alfred Drunyi, the leader of the Drunyi tribe in Enggros, emphasizes the cultural importance of having designated areas for both genders. Intrusion by men into the women’s forest incurs tribal fines, payable in traditional beads or money, which are then given to the women.

However, Sanyi, 65, who has been frequenting the forest since she was 17, points out that external developments pose significant threats. A 700-meter bridge and other infrastructural projects have encroached on the bay, leading to a reduction in forest area. Once sprawling 514 hectares, the mangrove forest at Youtefa Bay has now more than halved in size over the last six decades.

“It saddens me to witness the current state of our forest,” Sanyi laments, noting that many locals, including her children, are now seeking employment in the city rather than upholding traditional practices.

Pollution Threatens Both Tradition and Health

Youtefa Bay, a confluence of brackish sea water and five rivers, accumulates waste from Jayapura, resulting in pollution that affects the surrounding mangrove forest. Debris such as plastic bottles and wood clutter the mangrove roots, turning the water dark and contaminated.

After decades of clam gathering, Sanyi now often has to sift through trash before reaching the clam habitats, which are noticeably depleted. Paula Hamadi, 53, remarks on the stark degradation of the forest, where she has spent many mornings during low tide searching for clams. “It used to be different,” she recalls, now only finding trash where she once quickly gathered clams.

A 2020 study revealed high concentrations of lead in the bay, a pollutant emanating from residential and commercial waste, which poses risks to human and aquatic health. Further research indicates declining populations of shellfish and crabs, which are crucial to the local diet.

Initiatives to Preserve the Forest

Despite the challenges, some locals, including Merauje and other women from Enggros, are actively working to rejuvenate the mangrove forests by starting nurseries and planting new trees. “We replace dead trees and clean up the trash to preserve this forest,” Merauje states, determined to maintain their cherished environment.

John Dominggus Kalor, a university lecturer specializing in fisheries and marine sciences, stresses the need for more concrete actions to ensure the forest’s survival, including legal protections to prevent further deforestation. “There should be regional regulations to protect Youtefa Bay and the women’s forest,” he suggests, envisioning a future where these vital cultural and ecological resources are safeguarded.