Papua New Guinea Forest Project
Added to website: 06 October 2005
Dr Craig Turner (CCC Director of Science) recently undertook a scoping visit to Papua New Guinea (funding by the Darwin Initiative). CCC is currently developing a project to work in partnership with the people of the Waria Valley (Papua New Guinea) through their development arm organisation, the Morobe Bris Kanda (MBK), and collaborate with additional partners (Village Development Trust, Forest Research Institute and the University of Technology), to initiate the development of alternative sustainable livelihood options within the locally owned forest areas of the Waria Valley.
The proposed programme will also couple with enhanced environmental education and training programmes, contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of the local forest resources. The aims of the proposed project include biodiversity assessments of the forest resources of the Waria Valley (including inventories of two traditionally important timber species: Campnospermum brevipetiolata and Hernandia ovigera); development of a GIS-based decision support system; implementation of community vegetation nurseries for restoration work; the initiation of alternative livelihood schemes (including small scale forestry and eco-tourism); coupled with environmental education, training and local capacity building programmes within the target communities. Ultimately this will achieve local sustainable development based on benefits derived for local land owners from local forest biodiversity.
Subject to securing funding, CCC proposes to initiate the project in mid-2006.
