The apathy shown by many of the world’s industrialized countries who hold large carbon footprints is disheartening enough for Papua New Guinea, a largely forested nation to announce it’s withdrawal from the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference also known as the conference of parties or COP29 to be held in November this year.
Prime Minister, James Marape made the announcement this month after being briefed by the Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA) and the Conservation and Environment Protection Agency (CEPA) earlier this month.
The two organizations are the government’s eyes and ears for matters relating to Climate Change and environment protection.
PM Marape said PNG’s non-attendance will be in protest at the big carbon footprint holders of the world to demonstrate that forests nations like PNG demand for seriousness in addressing climate change issues, especially in practically addressing conservation of forests as a mitigation strategy.
“We are protesting to those who are always attending these COP meetings, making pronouncements and pledges, yet the financing of these pledges seem distant from victims of climate change and those like PNG who hold substantial forests.
The government’s stance is that the country’s forests, when harvested earns money for the economy, similarly that same forest when conserved must earn money for the economy.
“Our economy needs money yet we are preserving trees as the lungs of the earth, whilst industrialized nations keep emitting. You have not paid for any conservation.”
The Campaign Manager for Act Now! Eddie Tanago on the other hand said PNG needs to stop logging as most of the logging is illegal and unsustainable as it feeds rampant corruption.
“It needs to stop for PNG’s benefit and the government should stop trying to pretend it is a legitimate industry and blackmailing other countries to fund PNG.”
Tanago said carbon trading is monetizing the environment and is going to destroy PNG’s culture and traditional land custodianship.
The Panguna mine made a fortune but left war and pollution in its wake. A new lawsuit backed by anonymous investors is now seeking billions in compensation – and raising concerns about who stands to benefit.
By Aubrey Belford (OCCRP)
High in the forested mountains of Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville Island lies an abandoned, kilometer-wide crater cut deep into the earth.
Formerly one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines, the open pit now serves as an unsightly monument to the environmental and social chaos that underground riches can create.
Run for years by a subsidiary of Anglo-Australian giant Rio Tinto, the Panguna mine earned millions for Papua New Guinea (PNG) and helped bankroll its newfound independence. But it also poured waste into local waterways and fuelled anger among locals who felt robbed of the profits. When an armed uprising ultimately shuttered the mine in 1989, the impoverished island was left reeling.
Nearly three decades later, in late 2022, human rights activists, the local government, and the mine’s former operators joined forces to produce a definitive assessment of the mine’s toxic legacy. Their report, due to be released later this month, will become the basis for negotiations aimed at getting the mining companies to finally clean up the mess and compensate affected communities.
But its supporters now worry their efforts will be undermined by a class-action lawsuit launched in May against the mine’s erstwhile operators. The legal effort is being championed by former rebel leaders — and backed by anonymous offshore investors who stand to make hundreds of millions of dollars if it succeeds.
The lawsuit is part of a worldwide boom in litigation financing that seeks to take multinational companies to task for ecological or social damage while potentially reaping a fortune for lawyers and funders.
Critics in Bougainville worry the lawsuit will reopen old wounds at a time when the island is making a push to break free of Papua New Guinea and become the world’s newest sovereign nation. Many Bougainvilleans are hoping to reopen the mine, using its wealth to fund their own independence this time around.
The region’s government and many local leaders believe the class action could put the mine’s revival at risk. There are also concerns the lawsuit would leave many Bougainvilleans empty handed, while the anonymous foreign investors would walk away with a significant share of the payout.
Unlike the official assessment, which seeks to identify everyone who needs to be compensated, the class action will only share its winnings — which could potentially be in the billions of dollars — with the locals who have signed on. Others will get nothing.
“There’s already fragmentation in the community and families are already divided,” said Theonila Roka Matbob, who represents the area around Panguna in the island’s parliament and has helped lead the government-backed assessment process as a minister in the Autonomous Bougainville government.
She speaks from personal experience. The chief litigant in the class-action lawsuit, Martin Miriori, is her uncle. The two are no longer on speaking terms.
A Losing Deal
Gouged from Bougainville’s lush volcanic heart, the Panguna mine in its heyday supplied as much as 45 percent of PNG’s export revenue, providing it with the financial means to achieve independence from Australia in 1975.
The windfall, however, didn’t extend to Bougainvilleans themselves. Ethnically and culturally distinct from the rest of PNG’s population, they saw Panguna as a symbol of external domination. The mine delivered only a miserly 2-percent share of its profits to their island — along with years of environmental havoc.
Locals walk by buildings left abandoned by a subsidiary of Rio Tinto at the Panguna mine site. [[PHOTO: Aubrey Belford/OCCRP]]
During the 17 years of Panguna’s operation — from 1972 to 1989 — over a billion metric tons of toxic mine waste and electric blue copper runoff flooded rivers that flowed downstream towards communities of subsistence farmers. The result was poisoned drinking water, infertile land, and children who were drowned or injured trying to cross engorged waterways.
In 1989, enraged Bougainville locals launched an armed rebellion against the PNG government. The mine was shut down, closing off a vital source of revenue for the national government in Port Moresby. A brutal civil war raged on for nearly a decade, leaving more than 15,000 people dead, while a naval blockade by PNG’s military obliterated the island’s economy.
A peace deal in 2000 granted Bougainville substantial autonomy. But nearly a quarter-century later, the legacy of Panguna and the war it provoked is still deeply felt.
There are few paved roads and bridges in the island’s interior. Residents earn a modest living through cocoa and coconut farming, or by unregulated artisanal mining in and around the abandoned Panguna crater. Rivers polluted by years of runoff are still an otherworldly shade of milky blue.
At least 300,000 people are estimated to live on Bougainville, including as many as 15,000 who live downstream of the mine. Of those, some 4,500 have joined Miriori — Roka’s estranged uncle and a tribal leader whose brother, Joseph Kabui, served as the first president of autonomous Bougainville — in seeking restitution through the class-action suit.
“We’ve got to make people happy,” Miriori said. “They’ve lost their land forever, environment forever. Their hunting grounds. Their spiritual, sacred grounds.”
Martin Miriori, the primary litigant in the class action lawsuit. [[PHOTO: Aubrey Belford/OCCRP]]
‘Alert to Opportunities’
Miriori took many by surprise when he became the public face of the suit filed in PNG’s National Court in May against Rio Tinto and its former local subsidiary, Bougainville Copper Limited.
While the tribal leader and former rebel is a well-known figure in Bougainville, the funders of the lawsuit are not. They have managed to keep their identities secret in part because the company behind the suit, Panguna Mine Action LLC, is registered on Nevis, a small Caribbean island that does not require companies to publicly disclose their shareholders and directors.
Miriori declined to comment on who was behind the company, saying, “I will not tell you where the funding is based … you can source that from our people down there [in Australia].”
James Sing, an Australian based in New York, is Panguna Mine Action’s chief public representative. He initially agreed to an interview, but later referred reporters back to a London-based public relations agency, Sans Frontières Associates. The agency declined to reveal Panguna Mine Action’s investors.
Litigation funding documents obtained by OCCRP, however, shed some light on the history of the case. The documents show that Panguna Mine Action began to investigate the possibility of a class-action suit as early as July 2021. The Bougainvillean claimants, led by Miriori, were formally brought into an agreement with the company and its Australian and PNG lawyers in November 2022. The suit was publicly announced this May.
The lawsuit’s investors stand to profit handsomely from any eventual settlement: Panguna Mine Action is poised to receive a cut of 20 to 40 percent of any payout resulting from the suit, with the percentage increasing the longer the process takes, the funding documents show. In interviews and statements, both Miriori and Panguna Mine Action have put the potential value of any award in the billions of dollars.
The lawsuit’s financiers defend their substantial share of the potential benefits as standard practice. “The costs of launching and running the class action against a global miner are significant, and almost certainly could not be met from within Bougainville without funding from an external party,” the company said in its statement. Panguna Mine Action added it would bear sole responsibility for costs if the lawsuit is unsuccessful.
According to Michael Russell, a Sydney-based class action defense lawyer, such funding arrangements are typical in the burgeoning world of litigation finance, where investors seek out cases that promote virtuous social causes while offering huge potential payoffs.
A similar case is unfolding in Latin America, where more than 720,000 Brazilians are seeking $46.5 billion as part of a gargantuan class action against mining giant BHP and its local subsidiary for their role in a 2015 dam collapse.
In such cases, funders can justify walking away with significant cuts of any winnings because of the substantial risk they face of losing their investment if a case fails, Russell said.
Such cases are rarely initiated at the grassroots level by the victims themselves, he added.
“Most of the time, either the plaintiff firms or the funders will be the catalyst for a claim,” he said. “They are very alert to opportunities.”
Rival Restitution Plans
Government officials including Miriori’s niece, Roka, say the class-action case, which is due to hold opening arguments in October, threatens to derail the ongoing impact assessment aimed at calculating the full cost of the mine’s environmental impact and developing recommendations for addressing the damage.
The assessment, which counts community members among its stakeholders and bills itself as an independent review, is supported by Australia’s Human Rights Law Centre, who has hailed the project as “an important step” towards rectifying the mine’s devastating impact on thousands of Bougainvilleans.
However, while Rio Tinto and Bougainville Copper are both funding the project, they have not yet committed to paying for any compensation or cleanup. Roka said she was concerned the lawsuit could reduce the company’s willingness to engage with the process, since it could view the assessment as a tool that could be used against them in the courtroom.
The island’s president, Ishmael Toroama, backs the impact assessment and has lambasted the class action suit as the work of “faceless investors… taking advantage of vulnerable groups.” (His office did not respond to an interview request.)
He also expressed concern that the court proceedings threaten to “disrupt” his government’s efforts to reopen the mine, which still holds an estimated $60 billion in untapped deposits. Bougainville’s leaders see the mine as key to securing the island’s economic future as it sets out to form an independent state – a dream that drew overwhelming public support in a 2019 referendum.
Earlier this year Toroama’s government granted Bougainville Copper a five-year exploration license for the Panguna site.
The lack of media and polling in Bougainville make it hard to measure public opinion on plans to reactivate the mine, but many locals appear to support reopening it under local control as an essential tool for achieving independence.
Bougainville Copper’s brand is still toxically associated with Rio Tinto and its past abuses, despite the fact that the international mining giant gave away its majority stake for no money in 2016. The publicly traded company is now majority co-owned by the governments of PNG and Bougainville, and Port Moresby has pledged to hand over all its shares to the autonomous region in the near future.
Panguna Mine Action acknowledges that its effort effort could stand in the way of the mine’s reopening — but the company says that’s a good thing.
“It is our understanding that the people of Bougainville do not wish mining to be recommenced under any circumstances or, alternatively, unless Rio Tinto and Bougainville Copper acknowledge the past, pay compensation and remediate the rivers and surrounding valley,” the company said in a statement.
Rio Tinto declined to comment. Mel Togolo, the chairman of Bougainville Copper, told OCCRP that the lawsuit was the work of “a foreign funder who no doubt is seeking a return on an investment.”
View of the tailings located downstream of the Panguna mine.[[PHOTO: Aubrey Belford/OCCRP]]
‘Only Those Who Have Signed Will Benefit’
The fight over Panguna adds even more uncertainty to long-running anxiety over Bougainville’s future.
With global copper prices soaring on high demand for renewable energy and electric vehicles, the Panguna mine would be an attractive prize for both Western mining companies and firms from China, which is dramatically expanding its influence in the South Pacific.
Since a future Bougainvillean state would be economically dependent on the mine’s revenue, some have raised concerns that control of the mine could become a proxy battle for geopolitical influence in the broader region.
For his part, Miriori expressed little concern that a multibillion-dollar payout might stir resentment by reaching only a fraction of the people affected by the mine’s environmental destruction.
“Only those who signed will benefit,” he said, adding that the opportunity was made “very clear to people” through awareness campaigns.
“Those who have not signed, it’s their freedom of choice.”
An aerial view of the abandoned Panguna mine pit.[[PHOTO: Aubrey Belford/OCCRP]]
Among those who didn’t sign is Wendy Bowara, 48, who lives in Dapera, a bleak settlement built on a hill of mine waste. Bowara said she is looking to the government-backed assessment, not the lawsuit, to deliver compensation and clean up Panguna’s toxic legacy.
“We are living on top of chemicals,” she said. “Copper concentration is high. I don’t know if the food is good to eat or if it’s healthy to drink the water.”
But while it may seem odd given her grim surroundings, Borawa says she strongly supports reopening the mine.
“It funded the independence of Papua New Guinea,” Bowara said. “Why can’t we use it to fund our own independence?”
Niue, a Polynesian island nation located halfway between Fiji and Cook Islands has a population of over 1900. The island is a raised coral atoll with an area of approximately 261 square kilometers.
It is renowned as of one of the largest related coral atolls in the world and boasts over 100 coral species.
Niue hosts a diverse array of marine life including 300 fish species, sea turtles, dolphins, humpback and beaked whales and the world’s highest density of grey reef sharks.
Aerial view of the Island of Niue. [[Photo: By NASA]]
It’s waters remain largely unexploited and pristine with the goal to conserve the ocean for the benefit of the people and environment.
Niue is a small island developing state (SIDS) in free association with New Zealand. It has developed the Ocean Conservation Commitment or OCC Concept championed by local leaders along with a host of partner organizations.
As a SIDS, Niue has limited resources to undertake marine conservation and resilience efforts however through the combined efforts of its government, local organizations and communities, it has made significant advancement in its commitment, policy development and actions.
Niue is one of the first countries to protect 100% of its Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial Sea under a comprehensive marine plan and 40% of the EEZ is marine protected area, a no-take zone.
After eight years of work, The Niue Ocean Wide (NOW) Project has evolved into the Niue & Ocean Wide Trust (NOW Trust) its unique approach seeks to create funding and sustainable best practices including effective compliance, monitoring, evaluation, transparency and accountability.
All these efforts to tackle climate change and create a resilient Blue Economy.
NOW Trust was created as a charitable trust under New Zealand Law. One way of generating funds through OCCs is enabling sponsors to make a contribution of NZ$12.50/km2 (per square kilometer) each year for 20 years equating to NZ$250.00. Sponsors receive information in the Annual Report and materials that provide impact stories from the communities.
This concept is advocated in Niue to encourage citizens to take ownership of protecting the ocean surrounding them.
As an OCC sponsor or NOW Trust Contributor, individuals or organizations will aid and empower the efforts of Niue to save its unique ecosystems.
JinNam Hopotoa, Project Communications Officer with NOW Trust makes a presentation on the Niue Ocean Wide Concept, during PALM 10 event in Tokyo, Japan. [[Photo: Sincha Dimara/InsidePNG]]
JinNam Hopotoa is the Project Communication Officer at NOW Trust. He recently made a presentation of their work during the Pacific Island Nations week in Tokyo in conjunction with PALM 10.
Organized by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Japan, island nations including Papua New Guinea showcased their products and culture to the Japanese people. This was done in the heart of Tokyo where the punctual Japanese public made an effort to purchase memorable items or stopped by for a chat to broaden their knowledge of the Pacific.
Sasakawa Peace Foundation Building – host Pacific Island Nations Week in Japan. [[Photo: By Sincha Dimara/Inside PNG]]
The two-week display (July 8 -19 2024) of dance and art cris-crossed the pacific with islanders representing Micronesia, Melanesia and furthest Polynesia.
Nestled in the Tubusereia waters of Central Province, Papua New Guinea, a transformative initiative called Hiri Coral PNG has been doing wonders in the local marine life since 2017. This pioneering environmental service is not just about cultivating coral; it’s about catalyzing change, rejuvenating marine ecosystems, uplifting local communities and sparking a passion for marine conservation among the youth. An idea that stemmed to life from Igo Gari’s thesis during his PHD studies in Bond University, Hiri Coral PNG was awarded runner up amongst nine Pacific Innovative and Social Entrepreneurs in the 2023 Pacific Islands Blue Economy ClimAccelerator Program.
[[Photo: Hiri Coral PNG/Facebook]]
Through a blend of modern sustainable farming and traditional knowledge, Hiri Coral PNG is breathing new life into ailing coral reefs. As Igo Gari, the founder of Hiri Coral PNG, expresses, “Our coral farming efforts are not just about growing coral; they are about restoring balance to our oceans and ensuring a sustainable future for all.”
By involving local fishermen, traditional custodians in coral farming activities, the initiative not only supports the recovery of marine biodiversity but also creates sustainable livelihood opportunities for coastal communities deeply reliant on the sea.
Attaching coral fragments to a metal spider frame. [[Photo: Hiri Coral PNG/Facebook]]
At the core of Hiri Coral PNG’s mission is the establishment of coral nurseries that serve as havens for a myriad of marine species. Igo Gari emphasizes, “Each coral nursery we nurture is a beacon of hope for the future of our oceans, a sanctuary where marine life can thrive and ecosystems can flourish.”
“We have to date, planted 17, 000 coral plants, this is equivalent to the size of 6 rugby fields altogether”, says Gari. “Much of the work is done by the local fishermen, who are the traditional custodians, and I give them full credit as it is a laborous venture and through their efforts, we have managed to restore the marine diversity in the local reefs’ “, he added.
[[Photo: Hiri Coral PNG/Facebook]]Coral beds. [[Photo: Hiri Coral PNG/Facebook]][[Photo: Hiri Coral PNG/Facebook]]
Beyond conservation efforts, Hiri Coral PNG is nurturing a sense of environmental stewardship among the youth. “Our goal is not just to conserve marine ecosystems, but to raise awareness amongst our young people about the importance of sustainable coral farming for a healthier future”, says Igo Gari.
Despite its noble goals, Hiri Coral PNG faces challenges on the path to sustainability. “Marine Conservation has its challenges, but it is our shared responsibility to overcome them for the sake of our oceans,” reflects Igo Gari. From coral bleaching events triggered by climate change to pressures from overfishing and pollution, the initiative grapples with threats that undermine its mission of marine restoration. Limited funding and evolving socio-economic dynamics further test its resilience and long-term viability.
Healthy coral growth on a reef star coral frame. [[Photo: Hiri Coral PNG/Facebook]]
Amidst these challenges, there are positive impacts that stand out since Hiri Coral PNG’s establishment. “Rejuvenation of marine life, bringing financial opportunities to traditional custodians and building awareness amongst young people for a better future, are amongst many positive impacts”, Igo stressed.
Igo Gari’s vision and leadership have made Hiri Coral PNG to be a beacon of marine conservation efforts in Papua New Guinea. While Mr. Gari ventures to another area in life in terms of career pathways, his unwavering commitment to restoring coral reefs, empowering local communities, and inspiring the next generation of conservationists serves as a guiding light in the quest to protect our oceans.
As Igo Gari eloquently puts it, “Our work at Hiri Coral PNG is not just about saving coral; it’s about safeguarding a way of life, a connection to the sea that sustains us all. Together, we can create a legacy of conservation, resilience, and hope for the future.”
This new report is a case study out OF Wasu in the Tewai-Siassi District of Morobe Province.
The report is a third of a series and focuses on a project that is referred to alternatively as a cattle project or an integrated agriculture project, but to date, there hasn’t been any cattle on ground or any agriculture project.
The Morobe based Wasu Integrated Agriculture Project, received an FCA in 2019 and began exporting logs in 2021.
To date, it has generated over K15.6 (US$4.5 million) in log export revenue for Malaysian owned Wasu Resource Limited.
The new report highlights: • Allegations by customary landowners that they did not give their legally-required consent to the project; • The absence of any evidence that the logging company has established a cattle farm in the area, despite exporting logs valued at over K15 million since 2021; and • Evidence from satellite imagery showing a logging pattern more consistent with commercial selective logging than forest clearance for agriculture.
In a statement released yesterday following the release of the report, Act Now! calls on the Government to act now and address the abuse of the Forest Clearing Authority (FCA).
An FCA is a type of logging license intended to allow forest clearing to promote use of land for the economic development. However, previous reports by ACT NOW! and others have discussed cases in which FCA licenses have been misused to facilitate large-scale selective commercial logging activities.
ACT NOW! is calling on the government to undertake an independent, public and transparent audit of all existing FCAs’.
Act Now! Campaign Manager, Eddie Tanago says, until this is done, log exports from FCAs should be suspended.
He said an urgent review should also be conducted to see if the Wasu Cattle Farm project is operating legally.
The full report can be accessed through the Act Now! website.
Climate Change and the rise in sea level is very concerning, the devastation caused to the Coast line is inevitable. The rural population in Papua New Guinea cannot cope with the loss of their coastline and the threat to their eco system.
But what can Papua New Guineans do but take the lead in mitigating the effects of climate change? The Hansa bay area in Bogia District Madang Province is losing it’s coast line and the inhabitants are struggling to keep their marine eco system intact for future generations.
Hamex Rupia is from Southern Highlands Province but has built a livelihood and found a home in the Hanasa Bay area, along Bogia District in Madang Province. He has become a part of the community and he is one of the members in the community that has stood up to help mitigate the effects of climate change.
His organization, GTEN Fundraiser Network Inc, is leading the way in the Hansa Bay mangrove nursery and planting. He says communities have taken the initiative to start planting mangroves to help protect their coastline from the rising tides.
Mangroves provide natural infrastructure to help protect nearby populated areas by reducing erosion and absorbing storm surge impacts during extreme weather events. They are also important to the ecosystem as their dense roots help bind and build soils.
Hamex and his community through the GEF Small Grants funding administered by the UNDP, started a nursery of mangrove plants, up to 10,000 mangrove plants are at their green house, and are slowly maturing. Hamex says they will wait for the second part of funding before they can do transplanting of the mangrove plants.
The community has struggled to get a decent catch close to their coastline, and are hoping for changes when the mangrove project is in full swing. They hope more fish will come thanks to the Mangroves that will cover the coastline.
There are also war relics and burial sites from World War II, which the community say has been under threat by rising sea levels. Hamex said some of the war relics have been destroyed by the sea. The community sees this as a Eco Tourism project. Hamex added that the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority has funded restoration of some of the War relics in the Hansa Bay area.
Hamex says they look to benefit from changes in their eco system as well in future.
Environment Conservation is important in the modern age, with the effects of climate change, due to the extractive industry, industrialization and population growth, our natural environment is kept under stress.
Despite the challenges faced by rural Papua New Guinea, there are concerned citizens who see the need to take part in environmental conservation efforts.
The (GEF) Small Grants program which is implemented by the United Nations Development Program. It provides grants of up to 50,000 USD, directly to CSOs and community-based organizations (CBO’s). This is for grantees to undertake local projects that contribute to the global environment while generating sustainable livelihoods.
Local NGOs in Papua New Guinea that receive these grants go through basic capacity building. Which includes training in leadership and project management. This will help these small Community Based Organizations to manage funding and also in future be well equipped to apply for further funding to sustain their projects.
The Capacity training for Southern, Momase and the NGI regions was held in Port Moresby. This was facilitated by Conservation Forum PNG, with John Ericho as the facilitator.
Whilst the patrons of these projects are experienced in their capacity to drive their projects forward, they still need further training especially in management and sourcing further funding for project longevity. That’s why the one week training held in Port Moresby was important.
John added that there was a host of successful projects. Which included, Carbon Trading, Mangrove Planting and Coral conservation just to name a few. These projects are run by community based organizations that involve the whole community working together.
The team even visited a site where there is a coral rehabilitation program. The project is called Hiri Coral and it is located in the Tubusereia area of Central Province along the Motuan Coastline.
John Ericho says he believes that it is the community themselves that are responsible for conservation. He added that they own the resources and decide how to use it and if whether or not they want to take part in environment conservation as well.
ACT NOW! has released another case study report that reveals more illegal logging under the pretext of agriculture development.
This new report titled “A New Forest Grab” focuses on the Mengen agriculture project in East New Britain Province.
ACT NOW! says the report reveals how a Malaysian owned logging company, KK Connections, has used highly suspicious claims that will establish a forest plantation and agriculture projects to obtain a Forest Clearing Authority (FCA), which it is now using as cover to export thousands of cubic meters of round logs.
An FCA is only supposed to be used to allow the clearing of small, discrete areas of forest for agriculture or other land use changes, but satellite images analyzed by ACT NOW reveal the logging company in the Mengen area is roaming over a large area, selectively felling and extracting valuable timber with no forest clearance or agriculture planting.
The second report follows its first report, Ten Years Without a Crop, published last month in conjunction with Jubilee Australia.
The first report according to ACT NOW! revealed how another Malaysian-owned logging company, Global Elite Limited who has already sold US$31 million (115 million kina) worth of round logs from the Wammy FCA in West Sepik Province, but has not established promised palm oil or rubber plantations.
ACT NOW!’s Campaign Manager Eddie Tanago said to make matters worse, both reports highlight how the FCA logging operations have been approved by the PNG Forest Authority without the informed consent of a significant proportion of customary landowners.
He said just last week, Prime Minister Marape again reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the protection and sustainable management of our forest resources, yet the PNG Forest Authority is continuing to allow illegal logging across the entire country.
ACT NOW! Is calling on the PNG Forest Authority to cancel the Forest Clearing Authorities for both the Mengen and Wammy projects and to impose a moratorium on logging in all FCA areas.
In total there are 24 active FCA logging operations across nine Provinces which cover an average area of 61,849 hectares, the equivalent of more than 11,000 rugby fields.
Eddie Tanago, said: “FCAs are routinely being used as a loophole to authorize the theft of PNG’s forests. We call on the National Forest Board and PNG Forest Authority to extend the current moratorium on new FCAs, suspend logging in all existing FCAs and conduct a comprehensive public review of the projects”.
ACT NOW says it is also calling on the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Fraud squad to open investigations into these illegal logging operations as they are continuing under the supervision of Forest Authority officers.
The Change in weather pattern, where there is high rainfall in a short period of time and prolonged drought, has caused a lot of communities in Papua New Guinea to suffer. This is all attributed to climate change and the shift in global weather patterns.
Communities across the world including Papua New Guinea, are forced to adapt to this new weather phenomenon. Rural communities in Papua New Guinea often lack the capacity to mitigate the outcomes caused by Climate Change.
An initiative by the PNG university of Natural Resources and Environment, as part of their community outreach under the Kairak Center for sustainable rural development, is the Community Empowerment for Climate Change for farming communities.
The University is making sure that communities in East New Britain are aware of the adverse effects of Climate Change. So that they can make appropriate changes to mitigate and adapt to their changing environment.
Project officer Simon Nakaiban says communities need to understand that Climate Change is real and is affecting communities and livelihoods. He added that most in the community are slowly coming to terms in understanding the severity of the effects of changes in Global weather patterns. But some very remote communities still need to fully grasp the messaging of climate change.
Simon Nakaiban explained that as part of their outreach they focus on awareness on food security as one aspect of mitigating climate change. That means introducing improved variety of crops like Sweet Potato and Casava, which Nakaiban pointed out as being drought tolerant.
He also added that they are conducting surveys and collecting valuable data that will be shared among stakeholders. The center is working to make sure that some of their findings can help influence some of the policy decisions made at the bureaucratic level.
Government has reminded Environment Council members of the very nature of their existence which is to provide the necessary duty diligence which progresses or terminates level three permit environment activities in country.
Motsy David, First Secretary to the Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change made this known at the swearing in of the council members today following a two-year absence of a board under a previous management.
“The Government has trust in the high caliber Papua New Guineans to oversee this important function of protecting our environment, but it must be done with care for our people, country and God who gave us this earth,” the Minister’s Spokesman said.
The Environment Council is an important part of the scientific government office – Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), it provides an oversight of the highest-level environment permit issued in the land.
After taking office over a Year ago, Environment Minister Hon. Simo Kilepa, MP, has tasked Acting Managing Director Jude Tukuliya to furnish some of the outstanding issues in the organization which include the establishment of the environment council.
“We are seeing positive feedback from the investors now that the council is in place,” Mr. Tukuliya said. The council members include Jude Tukuliya (Chairman), Professor Kaul Gena, Jack Kariko, Tom Pringel, Professor Simon Saulei and Dr. Eric Omuru.
