Indonesia: Indonesian Mother of Six Aims to Keep Papuan Tradition Alive by Saving Mangroves in Women-only Forest

Jan 27, 2025 | Denny Armandhanu
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Papua province’s Youtefa Bay, known for its azure waters and lush mangrove forests, has seen infrastructure development that has helped improve locals’ lives and the economy. Cafes and restaurants have mushroomed there since the Youtefa bridge’s inauguration by then-Indonesian president Joko Widodo in 2019, for instance.

The striking steel-arched bridge spans 11.6km over the bay, connecting Jayapura city and Hamadi district in South Jayapura district to the Muara Tami district in eastern Jayapura. It has reduced the time taken to travel from Jayapura city to Muara Tami from an hour to 15 minutes.

But Papuan environmentalist Petronela Merauje has also witnessed the environmental cost of such development.