RRI.CO.ID, Gorontalo City – Biodiversity conservation efforts in eastern Indonesia have entered a new phase. This comes after the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) in Papua was declared complete.

A total of 59 strategic locations, covering a total area of 10.5 million hectares, were successfully mapped to serve as the primary reference for science-based conservation.

The identification process, conducted by Indonesian Wild Bird Conservation Association, known as Burung Indonesia, in collaboration with various strategic partners, has concluded. The data reveals that Papua holds the largest number and total area of IBAs in Indonesia, covering 25.58% of the region's entire landmass.

As reported by infopublik.id, the data is now accessible to the public to support the prioritization of biodiversity preservation, using birds as the primary indicators of ecosystem health.

"Papua is a region of extraordinary biological wealth, yet it has long harbored many mysteries due to limited information on wildlife distribution in the past," said Communication & Institutional Development Manager at Burung Indonesia, Muhammad Meisa, on Friday, March 6, 2026.

Based on recent studies, Papua is home to 641 bird species. Among these, 252 species are endemic to the island of Papua, and 75 others are endemic to Indonesia. However, this richness is threatened by unsustainable hunting, climate change, and landscape modifications, leaving 14 bird species globally threatened with extinction.

Out of the dozens of identified sites, five regions have been designated as top priorities for further exploration due to their ecological significance. These areas include Waigeo Island, Misool Island, Biak Island, the Cycloop Mountains, and Wandamen-Wondiboy.

Meisa explained that the core strength of an IBA lies in its globally recognized identification standards, utilizing four consistent scientific criteria. The first criterion (A1) focuses on areas housing populations of globally threatened bird species. The second (A2) targets locations with restricted-range species covering less than 50.000 km².

The third criterion (A3) emphasizes habitats for species restricted to specific biomes, while the fourth (A4) identifies locations hosting at least 1% of the global population of a colonial bird species.

"An IBA site may meet one or even a combination of these four rigorous criteria," Meisa remarked.

The journey to identify IBAs in Indonesia has been a long-standing process since the concept was first introduced globally in 1989. In Indonesia, the effort to locate priority areas began in 1993, starting with Java and Bali.

The identification progressively moved through Sumatra, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, and Maluku, culminating in Papua in early 2026. To date, 228 IBAs have been identified outside of Papua, covering more than 19 million hectares.

The arrival of the Papua IBA data completes a significant puzzle in Indonesia's natural preservation efforts. This ensures that limited resources can be precisely allocated to regions with the highest conservation value. The book "Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in Papua" is now available for download on the official Burung Indonesia website. ***