Wakatobi National Park, Center of The World's Coral Reef Triangle

Wakatobi National Park

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Wakatobi Islands, Coral Reef Triangle

Wakatobi Marine Card National Park in Southeast Sulawesi, which covers an area of 1,390,000 ha (established by Minister of Forestry Decree No. 393/Kpts-V/1996), is world-renowned for its rich coral reefs. Wakatobi stands for 4 (four) major islands, namely Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. Wakatobi National Park is a water area that functions primarily as a life support system, as a representative ecosystem of the Banda-Flores marine ecological region (Banda Flores Marine Eco-region), which has high biodiversity. The Wakatobi Islands are in the "Coral Triangle" region, or the "center" of the world's coral reef triangle, having the highest coral reef and biological diversity in the world. The tags coverage area of the world coral reef triangle includes the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands, with its center in the Wakatobi Islands.

The amount of rainfall in the Wakatobi Islands is not very high. Data from the last ten years shows that the lowest amount of rainfall occurs in September, 2.5 mm, and the highest rainfall in January, reaching 229.5 mm.

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The Kapota Island people cultivate Gracilaria sp. seaweed, which has been started by locals for approximately 20 years, and this activity can be used as a mini tourism object in this region. Stratigraphically, Fragrant Island is part of the Blacksmith Islands, which is a karst area, consisting of a series of islands in a northwest-southeast direction, and characteristic of a series of coral rings (atolls) with the core located on Wangiwangi Island with Tertiary Sedimentary Rocks.

Diversity of Wakatobi Islands

The high diversity of fish in the Wakatobi Islands, especially coral fishes, indicates that the coral in Wakatobi is still in good condition, and several studies have shown that many breeding sites are found in coral reef areas. People are increasing their income by utilizing resources such as processing cashews and coconut seeds, making woven fabrics, renting homestays, cultivating seaweed, and collecting wood, mangrove firewood, fish, crabs, and shrimp.

Its species diversity exceeds that of coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea (50 species) and the Red Sea in Egypt (300 species). In general, the marine waters have a configuration ranging from flat to sloping towards the sea, and some water areas are steeply tiled. Tags depth of the water varies, the deepest part reaching 1.044 meters, with the bottom of the ocean mostly sandy and coral.

Tourism, Potential Development

Tourism is not that optimizing the potential for development, considering that Wakatobi Regency has scenic beauty, natural uniqueness, ecosystem characteristics, cultural arts, and community characteristics. Traditionally, the community also has high social coherence, especially local wisdom in the utilization of natural resources around them, such as tuba dikatutuang.

The overlapping areas and the division of Wakatobi into autonomous districts are mandated by Law No. 29 of 2003. This could have serious implications for changes to the WKNP management system.

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The depth sea contour (bathymetry) at the WKNP from surface to deep sea is 0–4.000 mete. The existence of deep sea in a national park causes management inefficiencies because it's difficult to manage especially in Indonesia, because the fulfillment of infrastructure, and human resource management capabilities is still not handled.

The archipelago condition complicates management because it requires a lot of time, energy, and costs to reach and secure the entire area.

Degradation, Human Activity

Degradation of the area is caused by environmental pollution, allegedly from household waste, and port activities in the form of oil spills. Habitat destruction is natural and caused by human activities. Naturally, habitat damage is small, but human-induced damage, such as the use of cyanide, explosives, and coral mining, is classified as critical. Conflicts over the utilization of natural resources by fishermen who still depend on catching without any efforts to conserve (restocking). Fishing with purse seine (FADs) by migrants causes conflict with local communities. Abrasion.

The WKNP Center is organizing area management more dominant towards protecting, and securing the area so that the budget is sucked up for these activities. Increasing the function of the area as a life support system, in this case, the function of preservation, and sustainable use, has not been fully implemented.

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Monitoring, Evaluation, Research

The government can conduct intensive stabilization of the WNP zoning implementation, and ensure the implementation of monitoring and evaluation; the process of designing an effective WNP management model is carried out by involving the parties. Investigation and protection of the area in ensuring the implementation of strict law enforcement by applicable laws and regulations against forms of violations. Development of species and genetics conservation by improving the ability of ecological functions and characteristics of important resources. 

Development of the use of environmental services and nature tourism by identifying and analyzing the potential of environmental services that have the potential to be developed, building research cooperation with research institutions, universities, and NGOs, as well as building research stations as marine research centers. Institutional strengthening by focusing the management center of Wakatobi National Park in the capital of Wakatobi Regency, and designing a sustainable funding scheme to ensure effective management.

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