case studies undp: conservation melanesia, papua new guinea

7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: CONSERVATION MELANESIA, Papua New Guinea

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Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities

Papua New Guinea

CONSERVATIONMELANESIA

Empowered live

Resilient nation



UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES

Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo

or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth

their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition

themselves guiding the narrative.

To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser

that details the work o Equator Prize winners – vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ

to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models

replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence to ‘The Power o Local Action: Lessons rom 10 Years

the Equator Prize’, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.

Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiative’s searchable case study database.

EditorsEditor-in-Chie: Joseph Corcoran

Managing Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding

Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Toni Blackman, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Larissa Currado, Sarah Gordon, Oliver Hughe

Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Patrick Lee, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma,

Mary McGraw, Gabriele Orlandi, Brandon Payne, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding, Luna Wu

DesignOliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Lorena de la Pa

Brandon Payne, Mariajosé Satizábal G.

AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude the Conservation Melanesia. All photo credits courtesy o Eric Wakker, Aidenvironm

(www.aidenvironment.org.) Maps courtesy o CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.

Suggested CitationUnited Nations Development Programme. 2012. Conservation Melanesia, Papua New Guinea. Equator Initiative Case Study Series. N

York, NY.

http://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdf


http://www.aidenvironment.org/

http://www.aidenvironment.org/



http://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=casestudysearch&Itemid=858



PROJECT SUMMARYSince 1995, the biologically diverse Collingwood Bay areaon the coast o Oro Province, north-eastern Papua NewGuinea, has been the setting or a conict between theprovince’s 3,000 indigenous Maisin people and proposedcommercial logging and palm oil development withinthe community’s 262,000 hectares o ancestral lands. In1998, 38,000 hectares o tropical orest were raudulentlysigned over to a oreign investor; since then, ConservationMelanesia, a local environmental NGO, has been a criticalally in publicizing the community’s plight and building

capacity to resist the proposed development.In 2002, ater a three-year battle, the Papua New GuineaNational Court ruled in the Maisin’s avour, returning thetitle o their land back to them. Since then, ConservationMelanesia has worked to develop a sustainable, long-termresource management strategy that eectively conservesthe Maisin’s traditional orest land and supplies thecommunity with a means o supporting themselves.

KEY FACTS

EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2004

FOUNDED: 1995

LOCATION: Oro Province, Papua New Guinea

BENEFICIARIES: 3,000 community members

BIODIVERSITY: tropical forest, coastal mangroves

3

CONSERVATION MELANESIAPapua New Guinea

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background and Context 4

Key Activities and Innovations 5



4

Nestled on the coast o Oro Province, north-eastern Papua NewGuinea, is Collingwood Bay, a rich haven o marine lie and coral

ees o national conservation signicance. The coastal habitat

ncludes seagrass meadows, mangroves, sandy beaches and coral

ees and shoals. The terrestrial environment is similarly abundant in

iological diversity, comprising rainorest stretching rom one o the

ountry’s highest mountains to the coast. This orest o Oro Province

lso provides a habitat or the world’s largest buttery species, the

Queen Alexander Birdwing buttery, which is endemic to Papua

New Guinea.

ince 1995, Collingwood Bay has been the setting or a conict

etween the province’s indigenous Maisin people and proposed

ommercial logging and palm oil development o the region’sorests. The Maisin community numbers around 3,000 members

ving in nine coastal villages spread across the bay. Their ancestral

ands cover around 262,000 hectares o tropical orest, orming the

watershed o ve major rivers.

he region has long been a target or logging companies. Aware

the destructive environmental and social impacts o large-scale

ogging in other areas o Papua New Guinea, the Maisin people drew

p the Maisin Declaration in 1994.

We frmly and unanimously stand opposed to destructive large-scale

ndustrial logging, and to agricultural activity that entails the clearing

large areas o orest, in any part o the lands traditionally held by theMaisin people.” The Maisin Declaration, 1994

he declaration states the importance o the Maisin people’s natural

esources to their livelihoods, culture and uture, and outlines their

ntention to continue to develop sustainable sources o income

ased on non-timber orest products.

Threats to the Maisin customary lands

n 1998, however, 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres) o the Maisin

ustomary lands were raudulently signed over to a Malaysian

investor in the capital city o Port Moresby. The land was purchrom individuals claiming to represent the Maisin people,

was carried out without the knowledge o the community.

investor planned to clear the orest or palm oil development

rst the Maisin knew o the land lease was when barges arrive

Collingwood Bay in June 1999 carrying bulldozers and other log

equipment.

Conservation Melanesia, a local environmental NGO, was a cr

ally in combating this attempted logging operation. The organis

works in partnership with local communities to conserve

environment o Papua New Guinea through sustainably utilizin

terrestrial, marine, and cultural heritage or the benet o cu

and uture generations. To achieve this goal, Conservation Melahas sought to research, develop, demonstrate, and prom

strategies or conservation and sustainable development tha

environmentally sound, economically viable, culturally approp

and socially equitable. The organisation’s ve programme a

ocus on supporting and training community organization

environmental conversation; researching alternative eco-enter

options; enhancing environmental awareness through educat

materials and campaigns; inuencing environmental legisla

and governing practices; and promoting marine conservation

sustainable resource utilization.

The organisation’s executive director, a member o the M

community, led a campaign against the oreign investor, beginwith an inormation-gathering exercise to determine the de

o the sale o the land. Conservation Melanesia also sought

assistance rom an environmental law rm while working closely

Maisin tribal chies and elders to develop a comprehensive stra

to halt the land deal and logging plans. Based in Port Moresb

a ocal point or liaising with national and international suppo

and media, Conservation Melanesia was able to draw substa

attention to the plight o the Maisin.

Background and Context



55

Key Activities and Innovations

n close consultation with village representatives, Conservation

Melanesia has coordinated a multi-pronged approach to protecting

he natural resources ound in the Maisin ancestral lands. The initiative

as collaborated with research institutes in conducting surveys o

ora and auna in the bay’s marine and orest environments, and

as compiled inventories o natural resources identied and used by

illagers. To raise local awareness o environmental conservation and

andowners’ rights, Conservation Melanesia organized a number o

workshops in the community’s villages. The central aim o this work

as been to establish the groundwork or the Maisin to declare their

ands a conservation area, which would make it more difcult or the

overnment to approve development projects there.

artner environmental organisations have also played key roles

n deending the Maisin’s rights over the uture o their lands

hrough supplying technical and nancial assistance. They have

lso sponsored a number o initiatives to publicize the Maisin’s

truggle to preserve the rainorest. Since 1995, small delegations o

Maisin have travelled to the United States, Japan, Australia, and New

Zealand to attend museum exhibitions eaturing Maisin traditional

andicrats, to speak beore audiences o conservationists, and to

eek out nancial support or small-scale economic projects in the

illages. As knowledge o the Maisin has spread, a steady stream o

isitors has made the journey to Collingwood Bay. In 1999, both CNN

nd the Australian Broadcasting Corporation covered the story o

he Maisin’s ght against commercial logging.

From orest protection to sustainable development

Ater a three-year battle, in May 2002 the Papua New Guinea National

Court ruled in the Maisin’s avour, returning the title o their land

back to them. The challenge or the community and or Conservation

Melanesia since this ruling has been developing a sustainable, long-

erm resource management strategy that eectively conserves the

Maisin’s traditional orest land and supplies the community with

means o supporting themselves. The initiative has sought to

promote livelihood schemes through integrated conservation

development activities as an alternative to the destruction o

orest, and to meet pressing social challenges, such as the nee

better health care and education services, resource managem

strategies, and micro-enterprise development. This has also resu

rom the need or sources o cash income in a society that

previously based on a cashless economy.

To this end, Conservation Melanesia supported the Mais

orming a local community-based organisation, the M

Integrated Conservation and Development (MICAD) associa

MICAD includes community-appointed board members

each Maisin village as well as women and youth representatConservation Melanesia has assisted these community mem

to explore alternative, sustainable development options or inc

generation. Workshops have guided MICAD leaders through pr

identication, prioritisation, development, and evaluation.

Preserving a traditional livelihood

The chie means o generating income rom orest sources

viable alternative to large-scale cultivation or timber harve

has proved to be making tapa cloth, a traditional occupation o

Maisin community, which has been used in traditional handic

that have been successully marketed to urban and internat

consumers. Tapa cloth is pounded rom the bark o mulberry tgrown by the Maisin in amily gardens. The damp bark is be

at, and then painted with natural dyes collected rom the o

Traditionally a women’s art in Collingwood Bay, each cloth is pa

with a dierent design, depending on the clan o the artist. Tap

been used or generations or trade, as clothing, and or ceremo

The Maisin people have a particularly strong culture o

production, and have identied it as a key source o incom

their communities. Together with Conservation Melanesia,

Australian Conservation Foundation and Greenpeace, the M



66

ave established a community based micro-enterprise based on the

roduction and marketing o tapa cloths. Assistance rom partner

rganisations has ocussed on ensuring the equitable distribution

prots rom the enterprise, and on the role o women community

members in decision-making.

Ongoing threats…

Many challenges remain or the community in its deence o itsultural and natural heritage, most notably in the shape o persistent

hreats rom commercial palm oil exploitation o the orest. The land

as been the subject o logging claims as recently as 2010, with

resh attempts to clear land or palm oil plantations. The continued

upport o Conservation Melanesia and its international partners is

ritical in resisting these eorts. Identiying long-term markets or

he Maisin’s traditional handicrats represents one potential strategy

or ensuring that the community has the resources to deend its

and; demonstrating its capacity to manage the orest resources

ustainably is another strategy that would add weight to the

ommunity’s bid to have their ancestral lands declared a community

onservation area.



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onnecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better lie.

The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizati

o recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions or people, nature and resilient communities.

©2012 by Equator Initiative

All rights reserved

FURTHER REFERENCE

Barker, J. 2008. Ancestral Lines: The Maisin o Papua New Guinea and the Fate o the Rainorest . Broadview Press.

Whimp, K. 2000. Protection o Intellectual, Biological and Cultural Property in Papua New Guinea. Asia Pacic Press.

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348150159.pdf



case studies undp: conservation melanesia, papua new guinea

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