ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: THE CASE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Regional Policy Briefing no. 9 on ‘Building Resilience to Climate Change in the Pacific Islands’

Port Vila – VanuatuOctober 31st – November 02nd 2012

By: Theresa Kamau KasProgram Director, Northern Bismarck Sea.The Nature Conservancy, PNG Program,P O Box 2750,BOROKO.National Capital District.Papua New Guinea.

Outline of Presentation• Vulnerabilities to Climate

Change Impacts & Consequences in PNG

• Opportunities for Coping undertaken by PNG Communities

• Adaptation & Environment Sustainability - Community Model as the way forward

• Policy & Legislation Support

• Recommendation

Its hard to ignore the elephant in the room

Climate change is with us and we need to respond

Vulnerable Sectors Affected by CC Impacts

• Coastal Zones / Marine Eco -System

• Water Resources• Agriculture / Food

Security• Human Health• Terrestrial Eco-

System

Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impacts & Consequences in PNG

Sea Level Rise affecting coastlines

Flood & landslide, water-catchment destructions

Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Communities in PNG

Inundations and increase salinity

Destructed Shoreline/coastlines

Impacts of climate change on land based rural communities in PNG

Destructed forested land through landslides & erosion

Destruction of catchment areas in the name of development

CC Consequences are threats to Sustainable Development

• Degradation in Eco-System Services

• Decrease in Water Quality• Threaten Food Security• Rural - Atoll Communities

Livelihood Threaten • Migration –Resettlement

conflicts / Pressures• Economy effects (local

people & Government)

Opportunities for Coping toClimate Change Impacts & Sustainable

Development in rural/local communities• Coral Reef Protection• Coastline Protection and

Rehabilitation• Agricultural Techniques to enable

sustainable food Productions• Migration / Tribal & Individual

Movement/relocation of Affected People

• Capacity Building for Knowledge and Information Sharing

• Biodiversity Conservation and best Management Practices using Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Way Forward- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) used in

Community Based NRM Plans

Consultation & Decision-making using TEK

Learning & Training Support amongst community groups

TEK in Community-Based NRM Planning Processes for Sustainable Development

• Community Consultation, CBO Mobilisation and Decision Making (Situation Analyse)

• Partners identified, partnerships established

• Community history, visioning, planning

• Community zoning, rules & penalties developed

• Drafting of Community Based Management Plan

Integration of Adaptation Mechanism and Sustainable Development Model

Sustainable Development

Action Planning

Situation Analysis /

Vulnerability Assessment

Action Planning / Adaptation

Capacity Planning

Program Implementati

on / CCA Implementati

on

Monitoring & Evaluation

/Evaluation of CCA programs

85% of PNG Population depend directly on the environment for their

LivelihoodsENVIRONMENT

SOCIETY

ECONOMY

Clean water

Food Security

Protection of cultural and

spiritual Sites

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES“Environmental Contribution” Soil

Protection

MedicinalPlants

Natural productsFirewood, FibreRoofing, Fencing

Construction

Flood protection

PollinationPest control

GeneticResources

Nature –based Adaptation

• Cost effective• First line of

defence with sea level rise

         

Priorities

Sustainability

High Biodiversity

Priority

Low Biodiversity

Priority

Areas of high biodiversity, centre’s of

endemism, climate refugia, habitats of

endangered, rare, or unique species;

Under-represented ecosystems,

areas supporting ecological processes

etc etc

PROTECTION

Already converted landscape, urban

areas, mining areas, commercial

agriculture, industrial areas etc.

DEVELOPMENT

‘Plan Development actions in the right place’

Effective Legislation & Policy Support Needed

Political Will at Community / Local Level

Effective Implementation at Community/ local level

Environmental Sustainability in PNG will only be achieved with:

• Uses of Traditional Ecological Knowledge led by effective community based organisation (CBO)

• Effective Planning and Implementation of Sustainable Environment Programs through proper community based planning, and integration of NRM best practices

RecommendationCapacity Building at community level by civil society partners, using local knowledge

Local Government Annual Budget Appropriation /Allocation to CBO

Tenkiu tumas