Project background

The project aims to strengthen the protection and sustainable use of coastal and marine ecosystems in Papua New Guinea through natural capital accounting, marine protected areas and marine spatial planning, nature-based solutions and knowledge sharing. Through a variety of interventions, the project will integrate the value of marine ecosystems into economic decision making, establish and improve governance for sustainable coastal resource management, address sectoral challenges in tourism, fisheries, and urban development through private-public and community partnerships, and develop community of practice to enhance ecosystem conservation efforts.

Project outputs

Through a series of initiatives, the project aims to achieve four main outcomes:

1. Natural capital accounting and ecosystem services valuation integrated into key economic sectors, mainstreaming nature into economic decision-making
2. Governance and management of coastal and marine ecosystems strengthened through marine spatial planning, area-based conservation and enhanced capacities
3. Enhanced private sector, civil society and government engagement in Papua New Guinea’s Sustainable Blue Economy
4. Nature-based solutions strengthened and scaled up through knowledge sharing and learning

Expected outcomes

By the end of project implementation, the project hopes to have created 10,000 new blue livelihoods, restored 20,000 hectares of mangroves, established 2 million hectares of new marine protected areas, reduced 19 million tons of CO2 emissions through nature-based solutions, passed 6 new local-level laws and policies to support sustainable marine resource use, and provided 1 million USD worth of support to nature-based businesses through public-private-community partnerships.

Location: New Ireland Province, Autonomous Region of Bougainville,
National Capital District, Central Province

Focus areas: Marine and Coastal Conservation, Climate Finance, Blue Economy 

Implementing partners: Conservation and Environment Protection Authority, Autonomous Bougainville Government, Provincial Governments of Central and New Ireland, National Capital District Commission, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Department of Treasury, National Statistical Office, National Fisheries Authority

Donor: Global Environment Facility

Budget: 17.1 million USD

Project duration: May 2025-May 2031

Contacts

Patricia Porras
Chief Technical Adviser
patricia.porras@undp.org

Elton Kaitokai
Project Manager
elton.kaitokai@undp.org