Since 2013-2017 the work to build a model KPH that integrates customary rights recognition with community participation in sustainable forest management for low carbon development in Papua has been supported by DANIDA-IUCN Pro Poor REDD Project, NICFI, CLUA and other funding through the Samdhana Institute partnerships with local organization. Papua forest management is threatened by weak tenure, lack of genuine participation and minimum bene ts to Papuan indigenous peoples.

Samdhana bridged partnerships with Forests Management Unit (KPH) Biak Numfor Papua, KLHK, Papua State University, Local NGO Rumsram and Mnukwar, Byak Customary Assembly and customary communities in Eastern Biak, and district and provincial governments to build trust and nd common ground. The current long term forest management plan document, covering 206,016 ha area of KPH in Biak- Numfor integrates the role of IPs in local forest management.

The eastern part of KPHL Biak Numfor which administratively delineated as one of six resorts in KPHL Biak Numfor was selected to become the focus of this partnership. 5 villages with the 14 clans customary owners of Aur group are the targeted bene ciaries the project have investing through serials of technical assessment and livelihoods development intervention.

Papua Papua remains host to the largest contiguous forest areas in Indonesia estimated at 35 million hectares, with potential for generating low emission development models. Additionally Ministry of Forestry Decree SK.481/Menhut- II/2009 approved designation of 56 units of KPH in Papua, covering 18.180.201 ha or 58.49 % of Papua forests reserves. Further, there is a need to develop culturally appropriate and decentralized forests management approaches that bene t local people to address the poverty reduction and solving resources con ict in Papua. Biak District in Papua in 2011 catches this chance and then emerged as one of the Model in Papua. Understanding the de facto customary right claim it has offered the KPH block for co-management, to address challenges of sustainable forest management, solve con ict, weak institutional arrangements and legal certainty for customary community rights and their legal participation in managing their forests resources.

The KPH policy deals with the challenge of decentralized forests management schemes that improve the value of forests to the region and its people. National and provincial programs prioritized KPH, yet in 2013 stakeholder mapping assessment conducted by Samdhana Institute found that there are still big gap of knowledge, understanding and capacity at the local level to enhance the effective work of the KPH. Social issues have also emerged including lack of clari cation of customary rights within the KPH, as well as the gaps in local policy development to position and reinforce the role of KPHs in Papua.