Local tribe in Papua New Guinea leads the way in biodiversity conservation and legal protection of their forest
Success Stories August 17, 2022
June 2022 – Papua New Guinea (PNG) has vast tracts of pristine forest containing unparalleled biodiversity and which is considered one of three major tropical wilderness areas left on earth, after the forests of the Amazon and the Congo Basin. However, this rich biodiversity is under threat as PNG develops and places increased pressure on natural resources.
In PNG about 97 percent of all land is under legally recognized under customary ownership. Landowners and local communities are therefore important to any effort to sustainably manage PNG’s forests.
On June 29, the Miruma community of traditional landowners from the seven clans of the Wamiufa tribe set an environmental conservation benchmark for other communities to follow by signing a conservation deed to legally ratify their rights to protect their land and preserve its biodiversity. Conservation deeds are legally binding agreements that communities enter voluntarily but once signed have the full force of law. The Miruma community’s conservation deed covers 2,603 hectares of the Mount Waugareame Conservation Area, in the heart of PNG’s Bismark Mountain Range in Eastern Highlands Province. The Bismark Mountain Range contains large areas of pristine montane forest and is home to the endangered Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo, giant rats, and the bird of paradise. With an estimated population of 4,000 people, the Miruma community have a rich culture and passion for forest conservation. By signing the conservation deed, Miruma clan leaders have declared their commitment to preserve their unique biodiversity for future generations.
“It has been a long journey getting this far. For everyone to agree and give their consent for a conservation area is not easy. Developing laws to protect what we have in our forests is an achievement,” said Peter Siune, a Wamiufa tribe elder.
“The laws are our own, and for them to be recognized by surrounding communities and the government body gives us pride.”
According to Peter Siune and representatives of the Miruma community, the conservation deed represents a significant community achievement and was made possible with support from USAID’s PNG Lukautim Graun Program (LGP), the Wildlife Conservation Society, European Union’s Sustainable Wildlife Management project, and local Miruma community-based organization WamU5.
LGP together with other partners help the Miruma community to protect their forest, reforest degraded lands, understand wildlife dynamics, and develop conservation livelihood projects. Led by Cardno International Development – a DT Global Company, LGP is part of USAID’s commitment to support biodiversity conservation in PNG.
