MODULE Papua New Guinea P JUST WATER: Too Much or Too Little BACKGROUND INFORMATION Just Water: Climate Change in the Pacific Resource Series This education module is part of a series that focuses on the challenges faced by communities in the Pacific region as a result of climate change. The series is entitled Just Water as many of the challenges involve water; either too much, or not enough. However, the phrase Just Water also refers to the position of the Catholic Church – that access to sufficient, safe, fresh water is a human right and a matter of social justice. How to Use this Module FOR LENT This series was launched at the time of Lent 2017 and has been designed to integrate country MODULE P: PAPUA NEW GUINEA P: PAPUA MODULE focused modules with a Lent module. Teachers and students are encouraged to use the Lent module for the first and last week of Lent. The country modules (including this one) could be used as a unique focus each week with at least one lesson provided at each learning level. Common themes cross over between the countries and the order in which they are covered does not matter. WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6 MODULE MODULE MODULE MODULE LENT LENT Lent 2017 MODULE Kiribati K Tonga T Fiji F Papua New Guinea P Lent 2017 MODULE JUST WATER: JUST WATER: JUST WATER: JUST WATER: JUST WATER: JUST WATER: Climate Change Climate Change in the Pacific Rising Sea Levels Too Much Salty Water Extreme Weather Too Much or Too Little in the Pacific This module contains: This module contains: • Background information • Background information • First Week of Lent lessons and worksheets • First Week of Lent lessons and worksheets • Holy Week lessons (on the last two pages of this module) • Holy Week lessons (on the last two pages of this module) Refer to the Teacher Booklet and other country modules for Refer to the Teacher Booklet and other country modules for more information in thisLENT series. MODULE K MODULE T MODULE F MODULE P more information in thisLENT series. MODULE KIRIBATI TONGA FIJI PNG MODULE AS A STAND-ALONE UNIT The country modules have also been designed so that teachers can use them as separate teaching units for schools and classes. Lessons could be easily adapted to provide a range of relevant activities for students across all levels. Online Resources and Curriculum Links All resources referred to in the lessons (including worksheets and videos) can be accessed at www.caritas.org.nz. All relevant achievement objectives can be found within the Teacher Booklet available online at the same address above. This booklet also provides a good summary of the series and contains a list of all the elements available online and how they can be used together. Look out for Links to Stories from our Environment Reports for Oceania Many of the stories that are central to the lessons in this series link with the voices that are found in Caritas’ Pacific environment reports published over the last few years. An icon of the relevant report can be found on the story and video summary pages along with the page reference where more information can be found. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC FACT SHEETS Country Profile: Papua New Guinea Background: Papua New Guinea, in the south-western Pacific, encompasses the eastern half of New Guinea and its offshore islands. The eastern half of the island of New Guinea – the second largest in the world – was divided between Germany (north) and the United Kingdom (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives. Since 2001, Bougainville has experienced autonomy and have an upcoming referendum on independence in 2019. MODULE P: PAPUA NEW GUINEA P: PAPUA MODULE Capital: Port Moresby Language: Tok Pisin (official), English, some 836 indigenous languages spoken Ethnic breakdown: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian Population: 7,824,283 (October 2016 figure) Currency: Papua New Guinean kina Religion: Roman Catholic 27%, Protestant 70%, indigenous beliefs and other 3% Leaders: Head of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 1952); Head of government: Prime Minister Peter O’NEILL (since 2011); Area: 462,840 square kilometres Temperature: Tropical climate, averaging temperatures between 23 – 28°C. Humidity is between 70 – 90% Natural hazards: Active volcanoes; situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes, mud slides and tsunamis. Environmental issues: Rain forests are subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe droughts; impacts of recent El Niño; climate change impacts. Flag and map: CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC FACT SHEETS Climate-Related Issues Coral Bleaching Coral reefs around the coasts of Papua New Guinea are suffering due to rising ocean temperatures and acidification with noticeable bleaching over the last couple of decades. This has influenced the abundance of marine life that lives amongst the coral with a flow on effect to local fishing output. King Tides, Storm Surges, Rising Sea Levels and Strong Currents Many of the islands of Papua New Guinea, including Manus Island, New Britain, and the Carteret Islands, have felt the impacts of rising sea levels and stronger currents. Coast lines have diminished MODULE P: PAPUA NEW GUINEA P: PAPUA MODULE and people’s homes have been under threat. Forced Relocation The Carteret Islanders have started relocating families from the low-lying atoll Islands that they have called home to the more secure location of mainland Bougainville 86 kilometres away. In Tinputz, families have established new homes and continue to grow root crops and cocoa to provide for themselves, for families back in the Carterets, and to generate income. Droughts In the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, especially Jiwaka Province, communities experienced severe droughts that lasted for a number of months. As a result, families struggled with sickness and the very real problem of starvation. At the height of the droughts, people were travelling long distances to obtain fresh water. Some estimates suggest that it may take a year or more for communities to recover after the latest drought in 2016, which was the worst experienced in more than half a century. Frosts At high altitude locations in the Highlands, repeated frosts caused major problems to communities growing crops on their land. The severe nature of the frosts occurring at the same time as the droughts killed off potato, kaukau (sweet potato), taro, bananas, pandanus and other crops. Food Security With frosts and droughts destroying crops and rising sea levels leading to the extinction of some of the staple crops in some of the islands (such as giant swamp taro), it is little wonder that food security has been an issue for many communities throughout Papua New Guinea. With a reduction in the supply of food, many villagers have been forced to purchase rice to provide enough for their families to eat, or rely on rice provided by the government and international aid agencies. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC FACT SHEETS Caritas in Action Much of Papua New Guinea’s economic activity is centred on subsistence farming. Generally, families are in a position where income does not cover living costs (including education and health expenses). Caritas’ development work in Papua New Guinea focuses on sustainable livelihoods, improving health, disaster preparedness and education. Sustainable Agriculture and Community Resilience Project This project assists ten communities in the provinces of West New Britain, Bougainville and Manus to improve their quality of life by providing agriculture and fishery-based alternative livelihoods, clean water supply, and sanitation and hygiene needs. Each of the communities are located on MODULE P: PAPUA NEW GUINEA P: PAPUA MODULE small outlying islands that are very susceptible to the effects of climate change. Started in 2013, Caritas supports this project with financial help from the New Zealand Aid Programme funded by the government. It follows on from a very successful pilot project in the Kapo area of West New Britain. This project focuses on supporting the production of cocoa (Carteret Islanders in Tinputz), enhancing economic development through fishing (in Manus and Bougainville), and poultry and pigs (in Manus). Gender Violence Awareness Programme in Enga Province The Catholic Diocese of Wabag approached Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand to request support for a pilot gender-awareness project in Enga Province. The province is the scene of many tribal fights, domestic violence against women and particularly allegations of sorcery against women, who are then tortured and often killed. The pilot project has attracted strong support in the areas in which it has been held, and plans are underway to extend the project to other areas in Enga Province, with a special focus on combating allegations of sorcery against women. Emergency Relief An extreme El Niño weather pattern, which brings high temperatures and low rainfall for most of Oceania, led to disastrous effects around the Pacific and particularly in Papua New Guinea. Government agencies reported that 2.7 million people had their livelihoods, food and water supplies affected. Caritas worked with partners on the ground to respond to the El Niño crisis by providing emergency supplies to those in need and supporting government-led rapid drought assessment teams. Part of this support included the installation and rehabilitation of rainwater harvesting and bore water systems to ensure longer-term water security.