Groundwater Resource Potential in Table Mountain Forest, Manokwari, West Papua: A Hydrogeological Review for Conservation

¹ Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Papua University, Manokwari, West Papua Province, Indonesia
² Professor of Coastal and Marine Management, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, University of Papua, Manokwari, West Papua Province, Indonesia.
³ Professor of Forest Resource Conservation, Forest Faculty, Papua University, West Papua Province, Indonesia.

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This study evaluates the groundwater resource potential in Table Mountain Forest, Manokwari, West Papua, through comprehensive hydrogeological analysis for conservation planning. The 462-hectare protected forest area contains 44 active springs within a karst aquifer system that supplies 10.30% of Manokwari's municipal water demand. Using a systematic literature review methodology integrating geological, climatological, and ecological data from 2015 to 2024, this research employed multi-criteria analysis weighting geological factors (40%), climatological conditions (30%), topographical features (20%), vegetation cover (10%) and geoelectric surveys to assess groundwater potential. The application of the multi-criteria analysis framework produced a groundwater potential map of Table Mount as a high potential area zone. The geoelectric surveys identified shallow unconfined aquifers at 0.854-4.36 m depth with optimal conditions in survey lines 1, 2, and 5. The bedrock typically begins at a depth of approximately 6-9 m with resistivity values exceeding 13,000 flm, indicating an impermeable basement rock that prevents deeper groundwater circulation. However, developmental pressures present significant conservation challenges. The study recommends ecosystem-based management with three conservation zones: core (300 ha), buffer (100 ha), and transition (62 ha), alongside monitoring networks, 50-meter spring protection buffers, and climate adaptation strategies.