Text and photo source: Marlon Tohatta
The Paia Group, as part of the Indigenous Malind community in Malind Land, Merauke, is in the process of revitalization. The group increasingly feels the urgency to manage their living spaces and customary lands. Situated within the lowland geographic landscape, the Malind people are experiencing the growing impacts of seawater intrusion into their territory. Areas that were once used for gardening are now increasingly threatened by crop failure and declining harvests.
The forest’s role as a water catchment area has continued to shrink due to government-led land clearing programs. Consequently, flooding has become more frequent. It is no longer uncommon for tidal floods to reach inside people’s homes. This situation has made the challenges faced by the Malind people even greater, as they are now directly related to their living space and food security.
Nevertheless, life must go on—and must continue to be fought for. This awareness has been followed by a strong communal spirit to respond to these challenges collectively, through community-based action. Therefore, the Paia Group, residing in Alatep Village, Okaba District, Merauke, began to work together to clean up their village’s sago groves.
In early September 2025, the Paia Group began their efforts in the sago grove belonging to one of its members. They cleared dry leaves and sago fronds, gathered them in an open area, and then burned them. “This work would be very difficult if done individually, but when we do it together, it feels much lighter!” said Daniel, one of the Alatep villagers. On the cleanup day, he enthusiastically started working ahead while waiting for other residents to arrive.
There are at least two benefits to this controlled burning process. First, the ashes can be reused as a natural soil fertilizer. Second, trimming and burning the sago fronds helps minimize the risk of wildfires during the dry season. The high temperatures and strong winds in the dry season around the sago groves can easily trigger fires that
may damage the sago plants and endanger their groves.
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Yayasan Pengembangan Pelatihan untuk Perubahan Sosial di Tanah Papua
(YP3SP)
Jalan Karya Tanah Hitam Permai
Abepura Jayapura
Papua
ID