The Natural Resources and environment of PNG must be conserved, says Minister for Environment and Conservation, John Pundari.
Speaking at the recent launching of the national strategy for responsible sustainable development in Alotau, Minister Pundari pledged his Department’s support towards the Strategy, that would revolutionize PNG’s development path, through greening the economy.
The Minister announced plans towards developing a National Protected Area System Policy, as a key strategy for protecting PNG’s biodiversity.
He said the policy is underpinned by several concepts, including the need to develop benefits, sharing agreements with local communities in a similar manner to the Resource Industries, such as Forestry, Mining and Petroleum, so there is a shared commitment towards protecting the biodiversity.
Minister Pundari further stressed that there needs to be a legal framework for the regulation for protected areas. Development of a biodiversity offsets policy is in the pipeline so that resource industries will pay for irreversible and long-term damage caused to ecosystems. This policy will eventually be broadened into a payment for ecosystems policy.
