Trends

Until very recently, traditional forestry norms in Papau New Guinea focused solely on industrial logging, however, a more integrated approach to forestry and conservation is now being undertaken. Some progress is being made in the development and enforcement of environmental legislation. The Forest Authority is using the Forest Management Agreement approach to progressively establish landowner agreements for resource security on a 50-year basis. The Forest Authority is also now taking steps to improve the approximately 60 000 hectares of plantations that have been neglected. There are an increasing number of examples of land being declared conservation areas where indigenous landowners have opted to deny resource extraction activities and instead establish an income from conservation. Activities such as eco-tourism, scientific research and craft based industries are showing some promise of providing an alternative income for local people.

Promotion of sustainable forest management

Papua New Guinea has implemented a number of initiatives to promote sustainable forest management, many of them in association with a World Bank Structural Adjustment Programme. These have included the institutional restructuring of the government¿s forestry agency and the development of a National Forest and Conservation Action Programme of 1990. In 1995, a World Bank Economic Recovery Programme prescribed specific forest policy conditions. These included log export surveillance, new logging code guidelines, a taxation structure providing greater revenue to the government and landowners, agricultural clearance restrictions, enforcement of environmental protection standards, and a harvest cycle of 35 years. In 1999, a moratorium on new logging projects and increased support to community-based forestry and conservation programs was agreed. In 2000, a Governance Promotion Adjustment Loan was provided in exchange for further progress on forestry reforms. These included an independent review of the forest revenue system (taxation, royalties, levies and fees), to ensure rent capture and fair distribution of proceeds to landowners; and a review of applications for timber harvesting in line with the moratorium on all new activity. Progress has included a forestry concessions review completed in March 2001. The World Bank is also assisting the government to prepare a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
last updated: Friday, May 13, 2005