After ten years of work supporting conservation of the natural resources of Komodo National Park, The Nature Conservancy’s Coral Triangle Center (previously named Southeast Asia Center for Marine Protected Areas) has successfully transferred its program to a new eco-tourism development enterprise PT Putri Naga Komodo (PNK). This signifies the start of the Komodo Collaborative Management Initiative (KCMI), a pathbreaking model for saving Indonesia’s national parks.

The new enterprise company is set up solely to develop eco-tourism, promote conservation activities, and to support natural resource management and park operations in Komodo National Park. Although legally organized as a private company, PNK’s charter provides that all revenues will be used to support the management and development of Komodo National Park and the development of alternative livelihoods and enterprises for local residents.

PNK is working closely with the Komodo National Park Authority, District Government of West Manggarai, local communities, the tourism sector and other stakeholders to implement an innovative and multi-disciplinary approach to achieve long-term financial sustainability of the Park through professional park and conservation management, sustainable eco-tourism development and destination marketing.

PNK-supported conservation activities include a comprehensive set of biological monitoring programs for both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Park, including continuous assessment of resource use and tourism impacts. PNK will also undertake upgrading of ecotourism infrastructure to improve safety and enhance the experience of visiting the Park.

The new company, Putri Naga Komodo or “Dragon Princess”, who in local legend was said to have given birth to twins – a human boy and a komodo dragon, symbolizing the essential identity of humans and nature. PNK has acquired a 30-year license from the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry to generate park revenues through the development and management of nature tourism in Komodo National Park. The new company is staffing up its key managerial positions while most of the Conservancy’s Komodo Field Office staff have moved over to work with PNK.

To kick-start the project, PNK has obtained bridging funding from the World Bank’s Global Environmental Facility. The seven year US$5 million grant is provided through the World Bank’s private sector financing arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) with matching funds from the Conservancy. By the end of the grant period (in 2012), it is expected that the Park will be generating sufficient eco-tourism revenues to sustain ongoing management and conservation work.

Collaborative Management

The collaborative management framework being put in place is designed to maximize the involvement of all stakeholders in Park management. The National Park Authority will retain final authority over the park, with the Park Authority and PNK sharing responsibility for daily operations and management. A new government-mandated group, the Collaborative Management Council (CMC), will provide oversight and advice to the Park Authority and PNK. In turn, the CMC will include representatives from and receives input from a new broad community-based entity, the Community Consultative Council established under the aegis of the West Manggarai District Government, which will comprise representatives from fisher groups, local communities, NGOs, the tourism industry, and other stakeholders.

Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1991.  The total area of the park is 233 miles2 (1,817 km2), of which  one third is terrestrial land areas, including the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Mota, Nusa Kode and Padar, while the remaining area consists of marine waters, including coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangrove, and semi-enclosed bays.

Komodo’s islands are home to 277 animal species, including the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) found nowhere else on earth, as well as other endemic or rare terrestrial species.  Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, the global epicenter of marine biodiversity, Komodo’s waters are home to more than 1000 different species of fishes and approximately 260 species of reef-building corals as well as numerous sponges and other invertebrates. The park waters also host marine mammals, including dugong, as many as 18 species of dolphins and whales.

For more info visit www.komodonationalpark.org