Madang province
Political will is always a critical factor in successfully creating change in governance; however, there are often challenges to identifying resources to support the implementation activities once a policy is drafted. In Madang, past Provincial Development Plans have not adequately addressed conservation and environmental protection considerations, despite the intensive effort in past activities. For example, when the Madang Provincial Government (MPG) drafted the Madang Forest and Marine Protection Bill (2015), the bill was not passed due to a lack of prioritization at the provincial level and a lack of coordination and support at the national level.
LGP will focus on increasing the capacity of community-based organizations and provincial staff through training on land use planning, land use rights, GIS, Participatory Land Use Management Plan, and Conservation Action Planning in Madang, with a focus on biodiversity, gender, and livelihood targets within the provincial development plans.
TNC’s focal area is the lowland forests and marine environment of Madang Province. TNC has worked in Madang Province since 1997, supporting customary landowners in developing Participatory Land Use Management Plans for their forest areas in the Adelbert Mountains, strengthening the capacity of community-based organizations, and exploring alternative livelihood options (such as fair-trade cocoa production through the establishment of the Adelbert Cocoa Cooperative Society). TNC also worked with the USAID Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests program, helping MPG develop a Madang Sustainable Development Ridges-to-Reefs Gap and Priority analysis.
The National Protected Area Policy has provisions for Provincial Governments to develop legislation to govern provincial prioritized conservation areas through Community Conservation Areas and Local Marine Managed Areas. Despite the existence of this national policy framework, the Madang Government does not currently have the required provincial legislation to cover conservation and environment protection in the province; however, the current environmental issues faced by the province, such as mining spills impacting local fisheries and community protest against proposed sand mining, highlight MPG’s increasing need for such policies. To respond to this need, LGP will advocate the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority and MPG to pass this policy.
