By Julie Badui Owa – EMTV News, Lae
Thirteen Post Graduate Students from PNG University of Technology who were engaged in a program that began almost four years ago under the Forestry Department will graduate on Friday this week.
The PNG Multipurpose National Forest Inventory Program was funded by the European Union at a cost of K24 million since 2015 and will end in September this year.
It is facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in partnership with Unitech and the National Forest Industry. Head of FAO, Ken Shimizu said there is a need to identify Donors to sustain the Program.
FAO is the agency that received funds from the European Union and facilitated the implementation of the national project inventory program at the PNG University of Technology in Lae. The organization is working in partnership with Unitech, PNG Forest Research Institute and other partners to support the rollout of this program.
According to the Head of FAO of the United Nations, Ken Shimizu, there is a need to help support the continuation of this project in PNG. The PNG Multipurpose National Forest Inventory Program is the United Nation’s project on reducing carbon emissions from forest to contribute to national sustainable developments in PNG.
The European Union allocated K25 million since 2015 towards this program under the Forestry Department at Unitech for scholarships, research and academic equipment. However, according to the European Ambassador to PNG Ioannis Argypropolos, their support towards this program will end in September this year.
The national forest inventory program has also contributed to the capacity building of Papua New Guineans. The first batch of thirteen Post Graduate Students under the program will graduate at Unitech at the end of this week.
Unitech’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Ora Renagi thanked EU and FAO yesterday for their support during the hand over of forest research equipment worth of K400 thousand.
