Way Kambas Park Designated Public Service Agency
Way Kambas National Park faces a new conservation mandate following its redesignation as a public service agency, creating potential conflicts of interest in park management.
The Finance Ministry designated the Way Kambas National Park Office as a public service agency, known as a BLU, on October 31, 2026. This new status grants managers financial flexibility, but it also carries the risk of pushing authorities toward commercial revenue generation rather than strict biodiversity protection.
Financial records show the difference in state revenue generation among Indonesian reserves. The area’s non-tax state revenue in 2025 totaled just Rp1.9 billion, lagging far behind Komodo National Park at Rp100.2 billion, the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Office at Rp50 billion, and Mount Rinjani National Park at Rp22.3 billion.
Concerns over commercialization have intensified due to the involvement of Karen Brooks, a former United States diplomat who has long pursued tourism business development in Way Kambas. Brooks attended a Ministry meeting concerning the park’s status change on October 12, 2026, where the government described her as a wildlife tourism expert.
An investigation by Tempo.co revealed that Brooks surveyed Way Kambas in 2019 and pitched a resort project to then Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar. That initial proposal was rejected because tourism facilities are prohibited within the park’s core zone.
Following a change in administration, Brooks met with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni in early 2025 to discuss regional rehabilitation and development. By the end of that year, the ministry initiated administrative changes to modify the park’s zoning boundaries.
Indicative data show that the core zone has shrunk by approximately 31,947 hectares, while the utilization zone has expanded by roughly 34,054 hectares. The government has yet to provide a detailed ecological justification for alterations of this scale in an area essential for protecting wildlife habitats.
Policy-level oversight further connects park financing to private ventures through the Task Force for Innovative Financing of National Park Management. Led by businessperson Hashim Djojohadikusumo, the task force holds the authority to design investment programs, evaluate regulations, and recommend new rules that facilitate private-sector partnerships.
These financing models extend beyond Way Kambas, threatening 12 other national parks on the task force’s agenda, including Gunung Leuser and Lorentz. Without independent oversight, environmental advocates warn that commercial activities could fragment sensitive habitats and exacerbate human-wildlife conflicts.
Economic initiatives inside these protected environments must remain subordinate to their fundamental conservation mandate.
Emma Walker – News Editor