Forest Carbon and EUDR in Central Papua

Updated 2026-11-02 · 4 min read · By the akar.earth specialist team

Forest carbon in Central Papua: Lorentz National Park, Mimika mangroves, Nabire lowlands, highland coffee, mining pressure, customary land and EUDR exposure.

Central Papua, created in 2022, runs from glaciated peaks in the central ranges down to the mangrove coast of Mimika and the Nabire lowlands, with part of Lorentz National Park inside its borders. Forest protection under customary management, mangrove conservation and highland coffee agroforestry fit best. EUDR exposure is small, mostly highland coffee and some wood.

What the split means

Central Papua (Papua Tengah) was formed from Papua province in 2022. Nabire is the capital. The province includes Nabire, Mimika, Paniai, Deiyai, Dogiyai, Intan Jaya, Puncak and Puncak Jaya. Earlier datasets labelled “Papua” include it, so check boundaries.

Forest and land cover profile

Central Papua has one of Indonesia’s steepest environmental gradients:

• The central ranges, including Puncak Jaya, Indonesia’s highest peak, with the country’s last tropical glaciers, which are rapidly shrinking. Alpine grassland, montane forest and moss forest cover the high slopes.
• Lorentz National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that spans several provinces, extends into Mimika and Puncak. It is notable for a continuous transect from snow to sea.
• The Paniai lakes region: highland lakes and valleys, densely settled.
• The southern lowlands of Mimika: lowland rainforest, swamp forest and extensive mangroves.
• Nabire on Cenderawasih Bay: lowland forest and part of Teluk Cenderawasih National Park, shared with West Papua.

Peat and mangroves

The Mimika coast holds extensive mangroves and swamp forest, part of the great mangrove belt along southern New Guinea. Some estuaries are affected by mine tailings and sediment. Nabire has mangroves along Cenderawasih Bay. Mangrove conservation is a strong option; see the blue carbon hub.

Main commodities and drivers of forest loss

• Mining: very large copper and gold mining in the Mimika highlands, and artisanal gold mining in several areas including Nabire. Not EUDR commodities.
• Coffee: highland arabica from Dogiyai, Deiyai and Paniai, grown in small gardens. See arabica coffee.
• Oil palm: some plantations in Nabire.
• Timber: logging in lowland forest.
• Sweet potato, sago and fisheries: local food economy.

Forest loss is low overall but concentrated around mining areas, roads (including the Trans-Papua road), towns and plantations.

Which carbon project types fit

High-forest low-deforestation approaches suit Central Papua. Jurisdictional programmes, such as ART TREES HFLD, are designed for jurisdictions like this, where forest cover is high and historical loss is low. Project-scale REDD+ needs a demonstrable threat, such as road construction or new permits.

EUDR exposure

EUDR exposure is small. Highland arabica coffee is covered, but most is sold locally or to specialty buyers. Those buyers need plot geolocation and land status for each garden. See EUDR and coffee. Wood and palm oil from Nabire also need plot-level due diligence.

Customary land and security

Land is held by clans under customary law. The Mee, Moni, Dani, Amungme, Kamoro and other peoples live in the province. The Amungme in the highlands and the Kamoro on the Mimika coast have long-standing claims affected by mining.

Security conditions in parts of the highlands restrict access and fieldwork. Projects must plan for this and must never put staff or communities at risk.

Permenhut 6/2026 names customary forests as legitimate carbon participants. Projects must identify the right clan landholders and agree benefit sharing within and between clans. See customary forest carbon.

Climate change in the highlands

Central Papua is one of the few places in the tropics where glacier loss can be seen directly. The ice on Puncak Jaya has shrunk dramatically and is expected to disappear. This does not create carbon credits, but it underlines how sensitive high mountain ecosystems are to warming. Montane forest in the province protects steep slopes from erosion and holds soil carbon in cool, wet conditions. Disturbance through road building or mining releases that carbon and destabilises slopes. For investors, the most credible contribution in Central Papua may be jurisdictional or programme-level support for forest protection and customary land recognition, rather than single projects. Such support can still be structured with clear results and independent verification. Our carbon strategy service helps buyers and funders choose between project and jurisdictional options.

Practical next steps

Confirm boundaries, map clan territories, mining and plantation permits, and assess security for field access. Compare with Highland Papua and Papua, and see the forest carbon hub.