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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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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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.