Sustainable Financing of MPAs - Komodo National Park

3 Case study: Komodo National Park
Komodo National Park is located in the southeast part of the Indonesian archipelago,
between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. Komodo National Park includes three major
islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller islands creating a total surface
area of 1,817 km 2 (marine and land). The total population currently living in the Park is 3,267
people spread out over four settlements, whilst 16,816 people live in the area immediately
surrounding the Park. The majority are fishermen. (Komodo National Park 2005)
Established in 1980, Komodo National Park is declared a World Heritage Site and a Man
and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. Komodo is known for the endangered Komodo
dragon and contains an important marine reserve with more than 1,000 species of tropical fish,
invertebrates and mammals. (World Heritage 2005)
The goal of Komodo National Park is to protect its biodiversity, particularly the Komodo
dragon. Specifically for the marine component the objective is to protect the breeding stocks
of commercial fishes for replenishment of surrounding fishing grounds (Subijanto 2002). The
park has a significant recreational value and receives 20,000-25,000 visitors per year (TNC
2004, 16).
Figure 1: Map of Komodo National Park. (Dive The World 2004)
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