The Papua region, which makes upwards the Indonesian one-half of the isle of New Guinea, is largely undeveloped. While this lack of evolution is wonderful for the environs it also agency that 53 per centum of the population doesn't accept access to electricity. More than 25% of people living inwards the Papua percentage also alive below the poverty line.
The authorities of Republic of Indonesia has decided to accelerate infrastructure evolution inwards the Papua region. This may accept around positive benefits for around of the indigenous population. It could also accept a hugely negative trial on the environment. The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has thence released a novel interactive mapping tool which it hopes volition help planners, officials in addition to policymakers monitor the environmental effects of novel infrastructure projects.
The Papua Atlas allows users to sentiment woods loss, plantation & mine development, in addition to route construction. The map uses satellite information dating dorsum to 2001 which tin strength out hold upwards used to create time-lapse animations which demo the impacts of logging, plantation evolution in addition to route building. It includes a publish of unlike tools for exploring how infrastructure projects are impacting on the local environment. For example you lot tin strength out visualize woods loss for 1 km on either side of populace roads to visualize the affect of route evolution on the immediate environment.
So far the Papua percentage has managed to avoid the fate of the isle of Borneo. In 1973 3 quarters of Kalimantan was covered inwards tropical forest. Since 1973 over 1 3rd of that woods has been lost due to industrial logging in addition to the spread of industrial crude palm in addition to pulpwood plantations. CIFOR's master copy interactive deforestation map, the Borneo Atlas, shows where Borneo's tropical forests accept been lost in addition to the incredible scale of this continuing deforestation. Hopefully CIFOR's novel Papua Atlas volition help the Papua percentage avoid the same levels of deforestation.
