PAPUA NEW GUINEA
>> GEF-SGP biodiversity projects
>> UNDP Equator Prize Finalists and Winners
Selected GEF biodiversity projects:
>> Biodiversity conservation and resource management:
Support for government conservation strategy through assistance in establishing two pilot areas for integrated conservation and development. Includes building technical and institutional capacity of resource centre, awareness enhancement, establishment of biodiversity objectives and monitoring criteria, and implementation of sustainable development practices and alternative income opportunities.>> Forestry and conservation project:
This project will promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and more equitable sharing of benefits accruing from forest resources. The project will improve forest management, promote the environmental sustainability of forest harvests and implement a strategy to promote conservation and small-scale sustainable-use enterprises in biodiversity-rich areas. The GEF grant will: 1) develop an accessible mechanism to enable landowners to declare their lands for conservation and sustainable-use; and 2) provide financial assistance to landowners in priority biodiversity areas to pursue conservation-based livelihoods as an alternative to large-scale commercial logging.>> Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan:
To assist the government to implement commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. This funding will allow the government to define priority actions for biodiversity conservation and utilization within the context of sustainable development.>> Community-based coastal and marine conservation in the Milne Bay Province:
This project will develop a participatory management process that protects a sample of Milne Bay coastal marine biodiversity in three designated zones that are representative of the ecosystems and social settings of the Milne Bay Province. The project's first phase will pilot activities in the first of the three targeted zones by integrating conservation goals into the sustainable development framework, removing barriers to the ecologically sustainable utilization of marine ecosystems at the local level. It will do so through improvements in environmental governance, marine protected areas management, increased environmental education and awareness, and alternative livelihood options.>> Back to top
Selected GEF-SGP biodiversity projects:
>> Sogeri National High School environmental awareness project:
An awareness project implemented by students and teachers from Sogeri National High School. Activities include the promotion of sustainable forest management and prevention of deforestation.>> Sepik wetlands management initiative:
This project aims to provide resting grounds for freshwater crocodiles, and to assist local people to sell eggs in a more sustainable manner.>> Goura pigeon conservation and ecotourism project of the Ardam Roang Integrated Biodiversity Conservation and Community Development Project:
The project site is located in the Western Province, an area considered as a biodiversity conservation priority area by the Department of Environment and Conservation. The project aims to promote the protection of the environment and to conserve biodiversity as an entry point for sustainable rural development opportunities, while at the same time creating awareness and empowering the local people.>> Biological survey of Western Schraders Range:
The Western Schraders Range is located along the Bismark Highlands / Ramu Basin. The primary objectives of this survey are to measure the plant biodiversity of the Range and to determine the vegetation types along an altitudinal gradient within the proposed conservation area.>> Limestone nature park and ecotourism project:
This project is located in the densely populated Simbu Province. Pressure from the human population is mostly focused on the small pockets of forests that still exist. This project site consists of limestone caves, bird-watching viewpoints and bush walking tracks. The objective is to conserve the area through ecotourism activities.>> Research for biodiversity conservation in smallholder farming systems in Papua New Guinea:
This research project aims to document the impacts of deforestation as a result of unsustainable management practices and burning of grassland by smallholder farmers.>> Planning grant for herbal conservation project:
The PNG Herbal Society is based in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Its objective is to conserve indigenous herbal plants species. Its activities include identifying herbal plant species of traditional medicinal use and research into the chemical properties of medicinal plants.>> Conservation of hornbill nesting sites:
The Hornbill Nesting Site Conservation Project is located in the Gloucester area of the West New Britain Province. The project area was identified as poorly known to science in the Papua New Guinea Conservation Needs Assessment Report which was conducted to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation by the Department of Environment and Conservation and other organizations. The rationale behind the project is to conserve and preserve the hornbill nesting grounds around the Gloucester area.>> Back to top
UNDP Equator Prize Finalists and Winners:
Conservation Melanesia (Equator Prize 2004 Finalist)
Conservation Melanesia and the indigenous Maisin people of Papua New Guinea’s Oro province share a vision for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity on Maisin ancestral lands. With their property rights under threat from commercial exploitation and wrongful sales of land, Conservation Melanesia and the Maisin together advocated for the restoration of traditional authority over ancestral lands. Throughout a 3-year court challenge, the two groups worked together to document Maisin land management practices, promoted environmentally sustainable development through the sale of tapa cloth, and advanced legal arguments for recognition of the Maisin’s rights. Since 2002, when the Papua New Guinea national court decided in their favour, Conservation Melanesia and the Maisin people have continued to work together to build a better future for this highly biodiverse region.
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