to concerns expressed by South Pacific Governments over the state of the marine environment, a proposal to undertake a marine coastal pollu’tion study was initiated in 1989. As a part of the Regional Seas programme of UNEP, the project will attempt to assess the extent ofpolzution and quality trends by a series of monitoring and research activities at “clean ” reference and known polluted areas.
In urban areas, responsibility for providing piped water and sewerage services in the nation’s capital, Port Moresby, lies with Eda Ranu, and for the remaining provincial and district towns with Water PNG (formerly the PNG Water Board). Service provision to these areas are estimated to be 89% access to safe water (little change from 87% in 1990), and 57% access to safe sanitation (down from 89% in 1990)1. Access to services in urban areas struggle to keep up in the face of rapid urban population expansion.
Very little is known about the water quality parameters of marine ecosystems in Papua New Guinea (PNG). While several studies converge in classifying these ecosystems as among the richest in the world in terms of marine biodiversity (Pearse, 1988; Rau, 1988; Gosliner et al., 1996; Maniwavie, 2000; Karlson et al., 2004), relatively little can be said about the status of their waters, although water pollution and pressures on marine environments are increasingly becoming a concern among coastal people in PNG.
Papua New Guinea has the lowest water and sanitation access indicators amongst the 15 developing Pacific Island nations. The latest (2015) update of the UN’s Joint Monitoring rogram (JMP) estimates access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation in PNG in 2012 at 40% and 19% respectively. Over the period of more than two decades since 1990, the increase in access to safe drinking water has been very small (access in 1990 was 34%), while improved sanitation coverage recorded a drop from 20% in 1990 to 19% in 2012.
Papua New Guinea’s (PNG’s) basic water supply and sanitation needs are large. Today, an estimated 4.2 million Papua New Guineans—which is 61% of the population—do not have access to safe water, and approximately 3.8 million people, or 55% of the population, do not have access to improved sanitation.
Medicines and other health products are a special group of items requiring special attention and care. Unlike other goods of trade and commerce, medicines save lives, improve health and well-being of the population. Therefore, the trade, use and management of these special goods must be adequately regulated and coordinated.
Pacific Island countries are endowed with valuable tuna resources. The stocks of four tuna species in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) – a region that includes the Pacific Island countries (PICs) and extends south below New Zealand and north to the Bering Sea to cover some 8 percent of the global ocean - collectively form the basis of one of the world’s largest and most valuable fisheries.
OVER THE past decade or so there has been growing recognition of the impacts, both environmental and political, of
biomass burning in the wet forests of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya in Indonesia. This has translated into considerable research effort in these regions, particularly in the last few years (Dennis 1999; Laumonier et al. 1999).
The freshwater crocodile inhabiting Papua New Guinea, currently recognized as Crocodylus novaeguineae, exhibits
morphological, molecular, and ecological divergence between the northern and southern versants of the Central
Highlands and occupies separate evolutionary trajectories. A robust body of work has long encouraged the formal
description of New Guinea crocodiles from the southern versant of the highlands as a distinct lineage with a taxonomy
that reflects diagnosed relationships. Here, we use geometric morphometric techniques to assess cranial shape
Responses to the survey provide little evidence that the businesses environment is improving. PNG remains a challenging country in which to do business. • The biggest change since the 2012 survey is the difficulty resulting
This report presents the results of a rapid biodiversity inventory of the Bogoro Inlet and Motupore Island within the Bootless Bay (a large embayment bordering the South-eastern side of the expanding Port Moresby City), Central Province, Papua New Guinea. The biodiversity survey was conducted at Tahira on the eastern coast of Bogoro Inlet and Motupore Island which is a small island about 1km from the coastline of Tahira (see maps in the main report).
What can be learnt from the past? A history of the forestry sector in Papua New Guinea
This is an economic evaluation of the compensation to which Papua New Guinea’s customary landholders - wrongly dispossessed through Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABL) - might be entitled if they successfully sued the government. The evaluation involves the calculation of commercial loss but also, and probably more importantly, economic equivalent value loss. The framework identifies the relevant heads of value (not just priced transactions) and demonstrates appropriate methods for valuation. It does not pretend to be a price calculator
but rather a tool for advocacy.
This paper examines the current legal and institutional framework governing the administration of the forest sector in Papua New Guinea. From the evidence examined, the review concludes that the main requirements for reform at this stage concern fulfilment by the state of its responsibilities. This constitutes a more pressing issue than operator compliance, important as this also is.
Papua New Guinea’s is now in its 15th successive year of positive economic growth, with rates rising progressively until 2011, but declining since then, apart from the leap in 2014/15 associated with the commencement of production from PNGLNG.
We have been championing the case for an Independent Commission Against Corruption since 2010 and have urged for the implementation of the recommendations of various Commission of Inquiry, including those into the Department of Finance and the Special Agriculture Business Lease land grab.
Alluvium Consulting has been engaged by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the
Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) to undertake an assessment of sedimentation
processes to provide an empirical baseline understanding of the existing sources and extent of sedimentation
within the Sirinumu Dam and the downstream Laloki River catchment. The work will inform the development
of the Sirinumu Dam Integrated Land Use Plan.