Description
At the crossroads of the Asian and Australian
continents, Papua New Guinea is a veritable natural
sanctuary, home to an unparalleled diversity of
flora and fauna. Although it represents only 0.5%
of the world’s landmass with its 462,000 km2,
scientists consider that this country contains more
than 5% of the world’s biodiversity. Although they
are still discovering new species, specialists have
already counted over 285 types of mammal, almost
800 birds, over 300 reptiles and 320 amphibians.
An exceptional biological reservoir on a global
scale, the primary forests of Papua New Guinea are
seriously threatened by foreign logging operations,
demographic pressure and global warming. Papuan
landowners, who are the poorest of the poor, are
doing their utmost to reconcile environmental
preservation with living conditions. As recent
studies (UNDP-BIOFIN work in Costa Rica’s national
biodiversity strategy) have shown, however, local
indigenous communities are the most effective
guardians of their own lands.
With this in mind, traditional chief Mundiya Kepanga
and the Madang BRC are planning to set up and
develop a participative and inclusive training
program for forest “sentinel communities”, focusing
on cross-diagnosis and inventory, knowledge
building, empowerment and eco-responsible
economic development. Several levels of training
will be offered: individual, becoming a trainer,
economic and commercial.
This vast training campaign will be delivered by
BRC experts and commercial experts specialized
in eco-tourism, across Papua to help them better
protect their primary forests and enhance their
environment. The broader aim of the project is
to create nationally recognized protected areas.
