Public consultations on PNG’s Protected Areas Policy, Planning Framework and Draft Bill are taking place in the regions: Highlands, Momase, New Guinea Islands, Southern and NCD.
The Protected Areas Policy was endorsed by the Government in 2014. To ensure its effective implementation, the government – through the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA formerly known as the Department of Environment and Conservation) – is hosting public consultation to seek inputs for the implementation plan and legal framework progressing the Policy document.
More than 150 representatives from the government, civil society and private sector groups are invited to the public workshops. The consultations will allow stakeholders including Provincial government administrations to provide meaningful inputs to the Policy Implementation Plan Framework and the Draft Protected Areas Bill.
The work is supported by UNDP’s Community-based Forest and Coastal Conservation and Resource Management, which works closely with CEPA to improve the protection of an additional 1 million hectares of land and marine areas of high conservation value.
The Policy Planning processes uses the current government planning frameworks that is consistent with the newly passed National Planning Act 2016.
At present PNG has 58 Protected Areas and more yet to be gazetted. It cover 4% of the country’s land surface and less than 1% of the seas.
It is hoped that the legislation will introduce an effective protected area governance regime that will enhance protected area management and sustainability.
(Loop PNG file picture.)