Plans for Jurassic Park-style Attraction in the Komodo National Park Sparks Public Outcry
The viral photo first appeared on the Save Komodo Now Instagram page. (Instagram)
The story of a komodo dragon facing off with a construction truck in the Komodo National Park has sparked nationwide criticism of the Indonesian government’s plan for Jurassic park-style facilities within the conservation area. The project is part of a tourism campaign within the Jokowi administration’s economic redevelopment plan.
The Komodo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that stretches across the Komodo, Rinca, Gili Montang, and Gili Dasami Islands in Labuan Bajo, East Indonesia. Known for the wild komodo dragons that roam the island, the park draws more than 150,000 visitors each year.
The park is one of nine other locations designated as part of the administration’s “10 New Balis” initiative. The initiative identifies ten destinations that the Ministry of Tourism seeks to update in three key areas: attraction, accessibility, and amenities.
Since its announcement in 2016, the project has focused on four destinations, one of which is Labuan Bajo. The development there focuses on a 1.3 hectare geopark on Rinca Island with a budget of up to $6.5 million dollars. Earlier this month, the architects of the project shared a rendering of the plans accompanied by the theme song of the Jurassic Park franchise. The site has an information center and lodgings for park rangers, tour guides, and researchers.
The initiative hopes to increase investment in these areas and generate the same revenue from tourism as Bali. Looking to balance conservation and tourism, Indonesian President Jokowi asserted that heightening the travel standards of the island would serve to protect the animals.
“We want the Komodo National Park to be focused on conservation, so the tourists there will be limited. There are quotas, the fee is expensive,”Jokowi said during a visit to Labuan Bajo in 2019.
Shana Fatina, managing director of the local tourism authority, clarified that officials from the environment and forestry ministries, along with UNESCO, had already been consulted to ensure that the development of the attraction would not interrupt ongoing conservation efforts. Furthermore, an environmental impact assessment has been made.
This development, however, has been met with notable criticism from numerous activists and environmental welfare groups.
“According to our ancestors, conservation means to live together with the komodo dragons within its own ecosystem,” explained Akbar Allayubi, a komodo island resident who has been a park ranger for the last 7 years.
Environmental groups have expressed significant concerns with the plan to drill wells for the geopark. They fear it will harm Rinca Island’s wildlife, as the ecosystem depends on the island’s natural water sources.
Jatna Supriatna, chairman of the Research Center for Climate Change at the University of Indonesia, said that these worries needed to be acknowledged and addressed, voicing concerns that the attraction would cause changes in the behavior of komodos on the island.
The Campaign Coordinator for the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) criticized the plan, as it contrasts the government’s mission to protect the habitat of the komodo dragons. The development is concerning, he claims, because it risks harming the island’s natural ecosystem.
The viral photo led the hashtag #SaveKomodo to trend on Indonesian social media. In response, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Jadjimuljono assured citizens that the construction (including water supply and waste management) was being done mindfully, with the komodo dragon population and worker safety in mind.
Amid the public outcry, authorities approved a release that closes Rinca Island’s Loh Buaya Resort until June 30, 2021. This provision will be evaluated every two weeks.