Komodo National Park
Komodo National Park is a national park in Indonesia located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in the border region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca, and 26 smaller ones, with a total area of, with of it land. The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. Later it was dedicated to protecting other species, including marine species. In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve. It is considered one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots.
Komodo National Park has been selected as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The waters surrounding Komodo island contain rich marine biodiversity. Komodo islands is also a part of the Coral Triangle, which contains some of the richest marine biodiversity on Earth.
It is also a WWF Global 200 Marine Eco-region, a WWF/IUCN Centre of Plant Diversity, one of the world's Endemic Bird Areas and an ASEAN Heritage Park.
History
The island of Padar and part of Rinca were established as nature reserves in 1938.Komodo Island was declared a nature reserve in 1965, and in January 1977 as a biosphere reserve under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme.
In 1980 the islands of Komodo, Padar, Rinca and Gili Motong and the surrounding waters were declared a national park, for a total of.
In 1984 the national park was extended to in order to include the marine area Mbeliling / Ngorang, and Wae Wuul / Mburak Recreation Parks on mainland Flores. The marine zone covers 60% of the national park area.
In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 2005 it was designated an ASEAN Heritage Park.
The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon, first discovered by the scientific world in 1912 through Lieutenant J. K. H. van Steyn van Hensbroek, the Civil Administrator in Reo, Flores Island. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting the entire biodiversity of the region, both marine and terrestrial.
It is considered one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots - a Conservation International designation. It is also one of the WWF Global 200 Marine Eco-regions, a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve, a WWF/IUCN Centre of Plant Diversity and one of the world's Endemic Bird Areas.
Geography and climate
The park comprises a coastal section of western Flores, the three larger islands of Komodo, Padar and Rinca, 26 smaller islands and the surrounding waters of the Sape Straights. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin. The terrain is generally rugged, characterized by rounded hills, with altitudes up to. The climate is one of the driest of Indonesia with annual rainfall of. Temperatures in the dry season from May to October are around.Human settlements
Population history
Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island's remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled by the Sultanate other than by occasional demands for tribute.The majority of the people in and around the park are fishermen, originally from Bima, Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Sama-Bajau or Bugis ethnic groups. The Sama-Bajau were originally nomadic and moved from location to location in the region of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, to make a living. Descendants of the original people of Komodo, the Ata Modo, still live in Komodo, but there are no full-blooded Ata Modo left, and their culture and language is slowly being integrated with the recent migrants.
The human population within the park spread out over four settlements, all of which existed before 1980 when the area was declared a national park. In 1928 there were only 30 people living in Komodo Village, and approximately 250 people on Rinca Island in 1930. The population increased rapidly, and by 1999, there were 281 families numbering 1,169 people on Komodo Island.
Komodo Village has had the highest population within the park, mostly due to migration by people from Sape, Manggarai, Madura, and South Sulawesi. The number of buildings in Komodo Village has increased rapidly from 30 houses in 1958, to 194 houses in 1994, and 270 houses in 2000. Papagaran Village is similar in size, with 258 families totaling 1,078 people.
At the 2010 Census, Komodo Village had 1,508 inhabitants and Papagaran Village had 1,262 inhabitants.
As of 1999, Rinca's population was 835, and Kerora's population was 185 people.
In 2004, the total population living in the park was 3,267 people while 16,816 people lived in the area immediately surrounding the park.
Economy
As of 2007, 97% of the people living within the park rely on marine resources as their only source of income. They are pauperised by the restrictions on access to resources coupled with rising costs of living, a growing population and the lack of sustainable livelihood alternatives, all of which increasing the pressure on resources.; Tourism revenue and local communities
Locally, tourism has become a major industry since the late 1980s and the 1990s; but this development brought little benefit to the local communities within the park. Not only this industry is mainly based outside the park in Labuan Bajo; moreover most of the benefits thusly generated are leaked outside the region to large national or international tourism operators.
Education
The average level of education in the villages of Komodo National Park is grade four of elementary school. There is an elementary school located in each of the villages but new students are not admitted each year. On average, each village has four classes and four teachers. Most of the children from the small islands in the Kecamatan Komodo do not finish elementary school. Less than 10% of those who do graduate from elementary school continue to high school since the major economic opportunity does not require further education. Children must be sent to Labuan Bajo to attend high school, but this is rarely done in fishermen's families.Health
Most of the villages located in and around the park have few fresh water facilities available, if any, particularly during the dry season. Water quality declines during this time period and many people become ill. Businesses also take up large amounts of water for tourism uses, often getting a lower per-unit cost than locals. Malaria and diarrhea are rampant in the area. On Messah island, with a population of 1,969 people, there is no fresh water available. Fresh water has to be brought in jerrycans by boat from the mainland. The cost for each family for fresh water is Rp100,000 per month. Almost every village has a local medical facility with staff, and at least a paramedic. The quality of medical care facilities is low.Socio-cultural and anthropologic conditions
Traditional communities in Komodo, Flores and Sumbawa have been subjected to outside influences and the influence of traditional customs is dwindling. Television, radio, and increased mobility have all played a part in accelerating the rate of change. There has been a steady influx of migrants into the area. At the moment nearly all villages consist of more than one ethnic group.Religion
The Manggarai are mostly Christians. The majority of fishermen living in the villages in the vicinity of the park are Muslims. Hajis have a strong influence in the dynamics of community development. Fishermen hailing from South Sulawesi and Bima are mostly Muslims.Anthropology and language
There are several cultural sites within the park, particularly on Komodo Island. These sites are not well documented, however, and there are many questions concerning the history of human inhabitance on the island. Outside the park, in Warloka village on Flores, there is a Chinese trading post remnant of some interest. Archeological finds from this site have been looted in the recent past. Most communities in and around the park can speak Indonesian. Bajo language is the language used for daily communication in most communities.Flora and fauna
The hot and dry climate of the park, characterized by savannah vegetation, makes it a good habitat for the endemic Komodo dragon. Their populations are restricted to the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, Gili Dasami, and Flores, while extinct on Padar.The park also has areas of rainforest, deciduous forest and mangroves. The parks's savannah vegetation features lontar palm and grass species including Chloris barbata, Heteropogon contortusand Themeda triandra. Deciduous forests feature species including Cassia javanica, Diospyros javanica, Harrisonia brownii, Murraya paniculata, Oroxylum indicum, Piliostigma malabaricum, Schleichera oleosa, Sterculia foetida and Tamarindus indica.
Cloud forests appear only in few areas above 500 metres but they provide habitat to species, some endemic, including Ficus drupacea, Glycosmis pentaphylla, Podocarpus neriifolius, Terminalia zollingeri and Uvaria rufa. Coastal vegetation includes mangrove forest, which generally appear in the sheltered bays of the three larger islands. Mangrove species include Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Rhizophora stylosa and red mangrove.
Fringing and patch coral reefs are extensive and best developed on the north-east coast of Komodo. The park is rich in marine life, including whale sharks, ocean sunfish, manta rays, eagle rays, pygmy seahorse, false pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs, blue-ringed octopus, sponges, tunicates, and coral.
Varieties of cetaceans inhabit in adjacent waters from smaller sized dolphins to sperm whales and even blue whales. Omura's whales, one of the least known of rorquals have been confirmed to range waters within the park. Endangered dugongs still live in Komodo areas as well.
The terrestrial fauna is of rather poor diversity in comparison to the marine fauna. The number of terrestrial animal species found in the park is not high, but the area is important from a conservation perspective as some species are endemic. Many of the mammals are Asiatic in origin, including the rusa deer, wild boar, water buffalo, crab-eating macaque and civet. Several of the reptiles and birds are Australian in origin, such as the orange-footed scrubfowl, the lesser sulphur crested cockatoo, and the helmeted friarbird.
The most famous of Komodo National Park's reptiles is the Komodo dragon. It is the world's largest lizard and is among the world's largest reptiles; the females can reach a length of 2 to 2.5 m and a 70 kg weight, the males a length of 3 m and up to 136 kg weight, but the average is respectively of weight for a length and weight for a length.
Twelve terrestrial snake species are found on the island in addition to marine species. Snakes include the Javan spitting cobra, eastern Russell's viper, Lesser Sunda Islands pit viper, blue lipped sea krait, and Timor python. Lizards include nine skink species, geckos, limbless lizards, and the monitor lizards such as the Komodo dragon. Frogs include the Asian bullfrog, the endemic Komodo cross frog and Oreophryne darewskyi. Frogs are typically found at higher, moister altitudes. The saltwater crocodile was once present within the park in coastal areas including mangrove swamps but is now extinct within the area.
Mammals found within the park include the Timor rusa deer, the main prey of the Komodo dragon, horses, water buffalo, wild boar, crab-eating macaque, Asian palm civet, the endemic Rinca rat, and fruit bats. Domestic mammals on within the park include goats, cats and dogs which are feral.
One of the main bird species is the orange-footed scrubfowl, a ground dwelling bird. In areas of savanna, 27 species were observed. The zebra dove and spotted dove were the most common species. In mixed tropical deciduous habitat, 28 bird species were observed, and helmeted friarbird, green imperial pigeon, and lemon-bellied white-eye were the most common. Other birds include vibrantly coloured species such as green junglefowl, great-billed parrot, and the critically endangered lesser sulpher crested cockatoo. Two eagle species are found in the park, the white-bellied sea eagle and the extremely rare Flores hawk-eagle which is present on Rinca and Flores and reported but unconfirmed on Komodo Island.