USAID adamant to combat climate change in PNG

Preserving the ecosystem is critical to achieving Papua New Guinea’s climate objectives and to fighting global climate change, says an official.

USAID’s energy environment resilience office director David Burt said through the government’s National Sustainable Land Use [NSUL] policy, they aim to endure majority of PNG’s dense rainforest to mitigate climate change.

“Achieving PNG's climate objectives requires a shift in traditional land use approaches to sustainable forestry, agriculture, and land use,” Mr Burt said.

“The challenges posed by climate change are immense and we almost work together to preserve our environment, ensure that the resources we rely on are there to support our children as well.”

PNG hosts up to seven percent of the world’s biodiversity, mostly housed within a tropical rainforest, which is the third largest in the world, including a vast marine ecosystem.

Prime Minister James Marape told the United Nations during the recent 79th Assembly that PNG sustainably manages its forest, land, and sea because of the resources it provides for the people.

Mr Marape said PNG has been contributing to the global discourse over the last two decades on environment management and climate change, but this has been met with little return action.

“Despite our economic needs, PNG remains committed to safeguarding both our blue ocean life and our green forest life for Earth’s children,” he said.

“As a rainforest nation, PNG continues to play a proactive role to progress our commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC] and the Paris Agreement by undertaking adaptation and mitigation efforts.”

USAID was steadfast on resourcing the stewards of the rainforest to proactively sustain the environment in the course of climate change battle.

They have injected a financial component of $18.5 million [US dollars which is about K72 million] through NSLU policy to ensure sustainability was in place.

However, PM Marape highlighted at the UN congress that accessing of climate finance continues to be a challenge for PNG.

“We call on United Nations to look into this matter with urgency or we will utilise our rights to liquidate our forest and marine resources to achieve our development aspirations, including alleviating poverty,” he said.