Landslide/Erosion Control

Landslides and Erosion are continual threats to valuable infrastructure such as roads and building sites throughout the provinces of West Papua and Papua.  In 2011, YMP3, in collaboration with the local GPKAI church, began the Vetiver Landslide / Erosion Control Program to address these issues by use of Vetiver Systems (VS).  A globally-proven solution to erosion and landslides, VS is an appropriate technology that makes use of the very unique capabilities of the grass Chrysopogon zizanioides to “nail down” and “bind” unstable soil.

The program focuses on the hands-on training of church leaders from the M* community’s GPKAI churches in the following methods/techniques:

• General plant characteristics
• Nursery best practices
  • Site selection
  • Site preparation
  • Planting techniques
  • Care and maintenance
  • Propagation techniques
  • Disease control
• VS Bioengineering best practices
  • Landslide mitigation techniques
  • Erosion control techniques
  • River erosion control techniques
• VS business development (as a VS contractor)

In addition to erosion control/road stabilization, one of the goals of the program was to provide income for community members.  Recently, the community has been able to begin to receive profits from their hard work as they sold plant stock from their nursery and planted it at two sites to mitigate erosion.   Often times indigenous Papuans feel “left behind” as people from other Indonesian islands move to Papua and take the lead in business and other innovations.  This program has helped to give these folks a boost of confidence that they too can learn skills, have something to offer, and make a positive difference in this world.