1. Environment Sustainability : The Case for
Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Theresa Kamau Kas

2. Introduction
• VISION 2050 & PNG Government
Commitments
• PNG Green Economy
• Sustainable development conceptual model
• Mainstreaming Environment as an integral
part of the Development Planning Process
• Way Forward – Relevant and Appropriate
Policies

3. PNG Government
Commitments
• PNG Vision 2050
– Pillar 3 : Wealth Creation & Economic Growth
– Pillar 5 : Climate Change & Environment
Sustainability
• Millennium Development Goals
– MDG 7 : Ensure Environment Sustainability

4. ENSURING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
WITHIN PNG POLICY FRAMEWORK
1. Convention on Biodiversity
- Protection of biodiversity - 10% of
the terrestrial area by 2010 and 10% of
the marine area by 2012
2. Millennium Declaration
-Implement the principles of
sustainable development through
sector specific programs by 2010 and
no later than 2015

5. Rio+20 Agenda : Green Economy & MDG
Goal 7
• Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable
development into country policies and programs;
reverse loss of environmental resources
• Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by
2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss
• Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the
population without sustainable access to safe drinking
water and basic sanitation (for more information see
the entry on water supply)

6. SUSTAINABILITY IS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

7. Will PNG remain a Green
Economy after 2050
• “ improved human well-being and social
equity, while significantly reducing
environmental risks and ecological
scarcities” ?
• YES, if;
• Theoretical Concepts of ‘Green’ that is
currently fostered in Government Planning
System is effectively Implemented and
sustained over time!

8. Policy Focus
• Subsistence Agriculture & Community
Based Planning
• Commercial Agriculture
• Small Agriculture Business Lease (SABL)
• Downstream Processing
• Fair Trade Markets

9. Theory vs Practice
TO BE SEEN AS SUSTAINABLE =
BEING SUSTAINABLE IN ACTION

10. PROTECTION
Areas of high
Conceptual Model
biodiversity, centre’s of DEVELOPMENT
endemism, climate
refugia, habitats of Already converted
endangered, rare, or Sustainability landscape, urban
unique species; areas, mining
Under-represented areas, commercial
ecosystems, agriculture,
areas supporting
Priorities industrial areas etc.
ecological processes
etc etc
High Low
Biodiversity Biodiversity
Priority Priority

11. Sustainability
(Biodiversity Persistence)
Balance
DEVELOPMENT
PROTECTION
Increasing Increasing
opportunities for opportunities for
protection or developments that
developments may result in
that are landscape
environmentally conversion or
sensitive degradation
High Low
Biodiversity Priorities Biodiversity
Priority Priority

12. Sustainability
Conventional
FSC – logging Oil Palm, Urban
certified Timber development,
logging, Plantations mining areas,
Reduced commercial
Carbon
Impact agriculture,
Offsets,
logging industrial
Eco-tourism
Protected areas etc.
Areas
High Low
Biodiversity Biodiversity
Sustainability is about putting the appropriate activities in
the appropriate place

13. Sustainability
Forestry + Oil Palm
identification and
management of
HCVF, Riparian
Areas, Buffers
Increasing management restrictions
Forestry + Oil Palm
Identification and
management of
HCVF, Riparian
Areas, Buffers
High Low
Biodiversity Biodiversity
Priority Priority
If you can’t put the appropriate activity in the appropriate
place, then stringent management needs to be applied.

14. Sustainability
Environment Act 2000.
5. MATTERS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
(c) the protection of areas of
EIA significant biological diversity and the
Required habitats of rare, unique or
EIA endangered species; and
Required
High Low
Biodiversity Biodiversity
Sustainability is also about the effective implementation of
existing laws, policy’s and procedures

15. Bismarck Provincial Planners workshop in Madang

17. Challenges of Environment Sustainability
• Increase in Population
• Climate Change Impacts
• Land Tenure Systems (in PNG)
• Development Planning Priorities of
Government
• Legislations and Policies

19. (Shearman et. al. 2008)

21. 2.7-3.6% Population Increase/yr

23. PLANNING AT DIFFERENT SCALES
ECOREGION
Ecoregional Assessment
WHERE
PROJECT AREA
Conservation Action Planning
(CAP) - HOW
SITE BASED WORK
Community based
Conservation planning
Consultation
Implementation
ACTION

24. Sustainability
(Biodiversity Persistence)
Balance
DEVELOPMENT
PROTECTION
Increasing Increasing
Strategies opportunities for opportunities for
Threats
(How) protection or developments that
developments may result in
that are landscape
environmentally conversion or
sensitive degradation
High Low
Biodiversity Priorities
Biodiversity Biodiversity
Priority Priorities Priority
(Where)

25. Way Forward
PARTNERSHIPS & REPLICATION OF BEST
COLLABORATION PRACTICES

26. Influencing Relevant & Appropriate
Legislations and Policies

27. PNG Relevant Green Policies
• Focus on Subsistence Agriculture and Community
Based Management Planning
• Commercial Agriculture through effective Public
Private Partnerships
• Community Based Integrated / Sustainable
Development Planning Policies & Programs
• Conventional Legalising of PNG Traditional and
Customary Tenure Systems and Heritage (eg –
registration of ILGs)
• National Policy on Carbon (REDD+)

28. Thank you very much