New conservation grants from USAID

The US government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched two new grants to promote the conservation of biodiversity in biologically significant areas and improve the climate resiliency of communities in Papua New

USAID awarded K475,594 (US$140,000) in grants to the Papua New Guinea Centre for Locally Managed Areas (PNGCLMA) and Mahonia Na Dari Research and Conservation Centre (MND).

USAID awarded PNGCLMA the grant Sustainability of Community Mangrove Management through Strengthening Government Partnership. PNGCLMA will work with the Kairuku District communities and stakeholders to finalise and implement plans to strengthen the biodiversity conservation of the particularly biodiverse mangroves of Hall Sound Bay in Central Province.

A recent study of this habitat identified a very high number of species of plants.

Through a previous USAID grant, PNGCLMA encouraged conservation activities by linking up the mudcrab sellers from the communities with a seafood export company, doubling their income as a result and motivating them to restock their mangrove’s resources.

USAID awarded MND the grant Solidifying Marine Environmental Education Program (MEEP) through Teacher and Leader Outreach. MND will train primary school teachers to effectively teach marine biodiversity education and climate change adaptation to students in Kimbe Bay, considered a very important biodiversity hotspot, while continuing to reach out to students through themed presentations and field activities like mangrove planting and snorkeling.

Kimbe Bay hosts over half the world's species of hard corals (413) and over 900 species of fish.

This new assistance builds on an earlier partnership between USAID and MND, which raised the marine biodiversity awareness of communities in three districts surrounding Kimbe Bay, with over 10,000 primary students reached through outreach sessions and 120 secondary and college students trained in intensive courses.

Through the Pacific-American Climate Fund, USAID has supported 28 resilience and biodiversity projects in 12 Pacific nations. 

USAID awarded grants to civil society organisations in support of resilience measures that were mutually beneficial to the communities and the environment, such as livelihoods enhancement, improved health, food security, disaster risk reduction and sustainable natural resources management.

(UNDP picture of mangroves)

Author: 
Press release