Papua New Guinea Conservation Needs Assessment Synopsis Report Papua New Guinea Conservation Needs Assessment Synopsis Report
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Papua New Guinea Conservation Needs Assessment Synopsis Report Papua New Guinea Conservation Needs Assessment Synopsis Report by J.F. Swartzendruber Biodiversity Papua New Guinea Support Program A USAID-funded Consortium of World Wildlife Fund, Government of Papua New Guinea The Nature Conservancy, and Department of Conservation World Resources Institute and Environment Washington, D.C. Boroko, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Conservation Needs Assessment, Synopsis Report © 1993 by The Biodiversity Support Program. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the permission of The Biodiversity Support Program. Cover map produced by Conservation International, Washington, D.C. Cover design by Mimi Hutchins, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D.C. Printed by Corporate Press, Inc., Landover, Maryland. Printed on recycled paper. CONTENTS Foreword .................................................................................................................................vii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ ix Background .............................................................................................................................. xi Conservation in Papua New Guinea: Global Anomaly, Global Paradigm......................... 1 Cassowaries and Bandicoots: Biological Diversity and Customary Land Tenure..................... 3 Melanesian Conservation: 9,000 years of Traditional Knowledge ............................................ 5 The Conservation Needs Assessment Workshop....................................................................... 6 Boxes Social Legend to appear on CNA Consensus Maps of High Biodiversity Areas............. 7 CNA Workshop Findings ................................................................................................. 8 The CNA Consensus Maps of Biodiversity in Papua New Guinea......................................11 Synthesis Map #1: Major Terrestrial Unknowns .......................................................................12 Synthesis Map #2: Marine Systems and Critical Watersheds....................................................13 Synthesis Map #3: Terrestrial Biodiversity................................................................................15 The CNA Recommendations ...................................................................................................21 Bibliography..............................................................................................................................23 V FOREWORD he Five Directive Principles of Papua this century, when many of our people want the New Guinea’s Constitution provide the benefits of a modern economy, is an even greater vision and tools to enable our society to challenge. Leaders in PNG have a grave achieve the concept of sustainable develop- responsibility in meeting the needs of our com- ment/sustainable living in the 21st century. munities and taking PNG into a modern life with Many of our village societies continue to the benefits of good health facilities, education, live sustainably as our people have for hundreds and economic opportunities. of years, living a life balanced and in harmony In the desire to progress we endanger the with the environment. very sources of our physical and spiritual exis- The past 17 years since independence have tence. We have been endowed greatly by the been a challenging time for our country. The path Creator with the richness of our islands. Our for economic growth has been to short-term country is indeed bountiful. Yet now our envi- benefits, not long-term sustainable growth. ronment is threatened. Greed has motivated the Short-term economic growth, I believe, chal- exploitation of our resources. Once our environ- lenges much of the fundamental values of ment is gone, there is nothing, absolutely noth- Melanesian society, such as community respon- ing, left for us as a people. We will be scav- sibility and environmental responsibility. engers. I do not want to be responsible for that It is now apparent that Papua New Guinea's loss. Many men and women in PNG do not want (PNG's) major asset is its wealth of to be responsible either. environmental resources. The forests, the man- Therefore, in this time of choice and deci- groves, the reef, and the ocean are abundant with sion, the challenge is to ensure that every effort a richness that is desired by peoples and that is humanly possible is made to direct the corporations for their monetary value. For PNG development of our country on a sustainable these resources are a life source for current and pathway. future generations. Managing our resources in VII I have read the Constitution often, yet I Throughout the CNA, process was as must now admit that 17 years hence I have important as product. And the CNA itself was the finally come to understand and draw guidance in first step in a process. Now a national discussion my work from the Five Directive Principles. is needed to use the CNA information to 1. Integral Human Development empower people to weigh their choices and to Every person should be dynamically initiate awareness of decisions being made/open involved in the process of freeing himself or to be made. This will enable PNG to develop a herself from every form of domination or national consensus on appropriate conservation oppression so that each man and woman will and development projects as well as to develop have the opportunity to develop as a whole local consensus about land/resource-use options person in relation with others. open to communities. 2. Equality and Participation The CNA maps are "works in progress. All citizens should have an equal opportunity The mapping process does not end with the pub- to participate in and benefit from the lication of these maps; instead, the maps should development of our country. be used as starting points for further research. 3. National Sovereignty and Self-Reliance The maps should also be used, with the Papua New Guinea should be politically and other CNA information, to begin and expand economically independent and our economy participatory approaches to conservation. The should be basically self-reliant. social legend presented on each of the CNA 4. Natural Resources and Environment maps underscores the point that conservation in Papua New Guinea's natural resources and Papua New Guinea cannot be separated from the environment should be conserved and used needs and priorities of the local people. for the collective benefit of all and should be The CNA maps are intended to be dis- replenished for future generations. tributed not only to scientists and government 5. Papua New Guinea Ways planners, but also to NGOs and local resource Papua New Guinea should achieve develop- owner groups ("landowners") through the pro- ment primarily through the use of Papua posed Natural Resources Options Centre and New Guinea forms of social, political, and existing channels. It is hoped that these maps can economic organizations. serve as tools for more participatory decisions It could not be clearer that our Constitution about conservation and development in Papua embodies man/woman, development, equality, New Guinea. nationhood, environment, and our traditional The fact that areas do not fall within the structures for consultation to enhance and give circles on the CNA maps does not mean that they substance to our way of life. do not contain valuable biodiversity. Nor does it As we address the issues that are now criti- mean that environmental impact assessments cal for our future, the future of generations to should not be done on development projects or come, and for the future of our country, we will extractive enterprises proposed in those areas enter into dialogue with each other and friends outside the circles. Local biodiversity is always from other nations to find ways to sustain life for important locally, and local assessment of all peoples. It is an enormous but achievable task. biodiversity importance should have precedence. The Conservation Needs Assessment (CNA) is This document, then, is a tool that will one such task. assist PNG in the critical choices for our future. CNA was implemented through a process that stimulated collaboration between non- -THE HONORABLE MARGARET TAYLOR governmental organizations (NGOs), govern- Ambassador to the United States from ment, landowners, and scientists. Papua New Guinea V I I I PAPUA NEW GUINEA CONSERVATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY he Conservation Needs Assessment shop participants included representatives of the (CNA) for Papua New Guinea was government of Papua New Guinea, USAID, requested by the government of Papua numerous scientific and research institutions and New Guinea and funded by the U.S. Agency for museums, social scientists and legal scholars, International Development (USAID). The CNA NGOs, and local landowners, groups. was implemented by the Biodiversity Support The workshop developed a process for Program, a USAID-funded consortium of World information sharing and consensus decision- Wildlife Fund, World Resources Institute, and making and resolved that this model should be The Nature Conservancy, in collaboration with used in future development planning and con- local and international nongovernmental servation initiatives in Papua New Guinea. The organizations (NGOs), museums, and academic loss of biological resources in Papua New institutions. Guinea, as elsewhere,