Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor) declares first national park
03-08-2007
After just five years as an independent nation, Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor) has declared its first national park, a move which will protect a number of threatened species found nowhere else on Earth.
The declaration has been applauded by BirdLife International, one of a number of organisations involved in the site designation process.
“This is an incredibly forward-thinking decision, made all the more spectacular by the fact that this is such a young nation,” said Dr Mike Rands, BirdLife’s Chief Executive. “We wholeheartedly congratulate the Timor-Leste government on this declaration, and their commitment to conservation in line with sustaining the livelihoods and heritage of local people.”
Timor-Leste became independent in 2002 and despite rich deposits of oil and gas it remains one of the world's poorest nations.
The newly designated Nino Konis Santana National Park –at over 123,600 hectares- links together three of the island’s sixteen BirdLife-designated Important Bird Areas: Lore; Monte Paitchau and Lake Iralalara; and Jaco Island.
“This is great progress by the government and communities of Timor-Leste. After five years work our first national park is born. It will help our nation to protect its national heritage, culture and history,” said Manuel Mendes, Director of the Department of Protected Areas and National Parks, Timor-Leste. “The national park will protect globally significant biodiversity and the culture and socioeconomic livelihoods of communities living there.”
The National Park will also include over 55,600 hectares of the ‘Coral Triangle’, a marine area with the greatest biodiversity of coral and reef fish in the world.
The National Park includes 25 bird species restricted to Timor and neighbouring islands, and also the Critically Endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea, whose populations have been devastated worldwide by unsustainable exploitation for trade. In addition the Park is home to the endemic Timor Green-pigeon Treron psittaceus, listed as Endangered due to loss of monsoon-forest habitat on Timor island.
"We wholeheartedly congratulate the Timor-Leste government on this declaration," —Dr Mike Rands, BirdLife's Chief Executive
BirdLife has worked with the Timor-Leste government (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, MAFF) since shortly after the country's formal independence. Site designation work began with a programme of biological surveys, resulting in the identification of the country's Important Bird Areas (IBAs) (soon to be published in book form).
In doing this BirdLife joined forces with the New South Wales (Australia) Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), whose participation allowed the programme to be widened towards establishment of a new national protected areas network. Additional support to the programme was provided by Australian Volunteers International. Funding came from the Australian Government's Regional Natural Heritage Programme, Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (Japan), and the UK Government's Darwin Initiative.
“Now we must plan further and work hard to manage well, not only the government of Timor-Leste but international partners who want to collaborate and work with us, help us to build our capacity so that we can manage for ourselves,” finished Mendes.
The National Park is named in honour of Nino Konis Santana, national hero and former Commander of FALANTIL (Forças Armadas da Libertação Nacional de Timor-Leste), the armed wing of the resistance movement in the struggle for independence who was born in the village of Tutuala within the National Park.
Bild:Tutuala F-33.jpg|thumb|Eine ''Fatu'', eine für Timor typische steile Klippe nahe Tutuala

 Der Premierminister von Timor-Leste Xanana Gusmão hat heute gemeinsam mit Vertretern der Gemeinden der Region den ersten Nationalpark des Landes offiziell eröffnet. Das 123.600 Hektar große Gebiet im äußersten Osten der Insel Timor ist nach dem Freiheitskämpfer und Kommandant der FALINTIL Nino Konis Santana (1959-1998) benannt, der in Tutuala geboren wurde. 55.600 Hektar des Nationalparks sind Meeresfläche. Bereits seit 2000 waren schon der Strand von Tutuala und der dahinterliegende Wald Wildschutzgebiet. Am 27. Juli 2007 wurde dann das Schutzgebiet auf die heutige Fläche erweitert. Es umfasst nun die Important Bird Areas von Loré, des Monte Paitchau und des Sees Ira Lalaro (dem größten See des Landes), sowie die Insel Jaco und im Meer das ''Korallendreieck'', eine Region mit der größten Biodiversität an Korallen und Rifffischen in der Welt. Das Gebiet war ein Rückzugsgebiet für die Unabhängigkeitskämpfer der FALINTIL.

Geschützt werden sollen Natur, und das kulturelle und historische Erbe in der Region. Dazu gehören Korallenriffe und der größte verbliebene intakte tropische Flachland- und Monsunregenwald der Region. Außerdem hat das Gebiet mythologische Bedeutung für die Bevölkerung. Seit über 40.000 Jahren leben Menschen in dieser Region, weswegen auch aus Sicht der Archäologie der Nationalpark interessant ist. Außerdem gibt es historisch wichtige Orte aus der portugiesischen Kolonialzeit und der Zeit der japanischen Besatzung während des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Die Regierung wird beim Nationalpark unterstützt von BirdLife International und dem Department of Environment and Climate Change der Regierung von New South Wales/Australien.

Der Nationalpark beherbergt unter anderem 25 Vogelarten, die nur auf Timor und benachbarten Inseln zu finden sind, darunter der gefährdete Gelbwangenkakadu (Cacatua sulphurea) und die grüne Timortaube (Treron psittaceus).

Im Gebiet des Nationalparks leben 10.000 Menschen, die sich direkt beim Schutz des Parks beteiligen sollen. Sie sollen als Parkwächter angeworben werden.