The New Guinea Challenge

An introduction to the natural history, societies, conservation and sustainable development of the New Guinea region prepared by CSIRO Australia for the Moore Foundation, 2003
This pictorial review will show:
•how Earth history has given these islands immense biological and mineral riches;
•why the plants and animals are of outstanding value for science and natural history;
•the enormous diversity of human cultures developed over the last30,000 years;
•the footprints of human society and infrastructure that lie over the entire landscape;
•agricultural land industrial developments that impact on many ecosystems; and
•the combined footprints of the widespread developing human societies and conservation areas (both existing and proposed) forming a complex mosaic of residential, development and conservation interests, even at a broad scale.
Any successful strategy to maintain viable communities of the fascinating and valuable plants and animals of the New Guinea region will require
(1)the best scientifically-based landscape management plans for both conservation
and production, and (2)feasible plans for economic and social developments that
meet the needs and aspirations of local landowners and residents.