Lorentz National Park - World Natural Heritage in Indonesia

Lorentz National Park is located in the western province of Papua, Indonesia, established in 1997, named after the Dutch diplomat and explorer Hendrikus Albertus Lorentz (September 18, 1871 – September 2, 1944).

Location: Province of Papua (formerly Irian Jaya)
Year of recognition: 1999
Criteria: (viii)(ix)(x)
Acreage: 2,350,000 hectares

Lorentz National Park Heritage is the largest protected natural area in Southeast Asia, stretching over 150km, from the Cordillera Mountains, the central Irian Jaya in the north, to the Arafura Sea in the south with an area of up to 2,350,000ha, as a continuous ecological slice from the cold snow-covered mountain (Puncak Jaya peak is 4884m high) to the tropical marine environment, including the wetlands of the vast plains; river basins from high mountain areas to lowland coastal areas.

The vast size of the National Park is one of the conditions that ensures the integrity of a biodiversity habitat, ranging from glaciers, alpine vegetation, montane forests, lowland wet forests, freshwater marshes and mangroves along the Arafura coast.

It is one of only three tropical regions in the world to have glaciers, ecosystems ranging from snow-capped mountain peaks to extensive lowland wetlands and coastal zones. This place also keeps fossils, showing extremely rich biodiversity.

The national park has 34 types of vegetation, 29 natural geological systems along with more than 100 species of freshwater fish, 324 species of reptiles, 650 species of birds, 123 species of mammals, representing 80% of the total some species of mammals in the Irian Jaya area, about 150,000 species of insects…Many species of plants and animals that exist here continue to be discovered.

There are 8 ethnic groups living here. In the highland areas are the following communities: Amungme (Damal); Dani Barat; Dani Lembah Baliem; Moni; Nduga. In lowland areas: Asmat; Kamoro; Sempan. Indigenous ethnic communities with a size of about 6.3 to 10 thousand people play an important role in conserving biodiversity and natural resources in the National Park. Their cultural diversity is also one of the key factors for the Park’s success.