Word: Ayu Arman
A transformation is taking place in Tambrauw Regency. I’ve witnessed it. Thirteen years ago, Tambrauw was a quiet, dark, and isolated region. There were no roads, no bridges. Today, that image has changed. A highway stretching 680 kilometers now connects villages, districts, and the regency center. Dozens of bridges stand firm, closing the distance between once-separate communities.
This transformation didn’t happen overnight. Behind it stands Gabriel Asem, Tambrauw’s first regent, who elevated the region from obscurity into a symbol of progress and environmental resilience in West Papua. His leadership marked a fundamental shift: development is not just about infrastructure—it’s also about protecting nature and cultural heritage.
Gabriel Asem realized that in the past decade, Papua’s land has undergone rapid and dramatic changes due to environmentally destructive development and economic activity. If left unchecked, Papua would dry out—its natural wealth depleted. That awareness led him to champion a conservation vision, officially recognized in 2018 through Regional Regulation No. 05/2018, which declared Tambrauw a conservation regency. He also strengthened protections for Indigenous communities through Regulation No. 06/2018.
For the Papuan people, land is more than a living space—it is like a mother, a “mama,” who provides food, water, warmth, and protection. This philosophy inspired Gabriel Asem to shape a development model rooted in local values. Forests, oceans, and land are life-giving forces to be preserved, not endlessly exploited.
Step by step, Tambrauw’s development has been guided by balance: infrastructure is built without destroying forests, the economy is driven forward with sustainability in mind, and culture is upheld as the soul of the community. This is the new face of Tambrauw—a conservation regency moving forward, not by sacrificing nature, but by nurturing it as part of its future.