2 Million Hectares of Forest to be conserved

From left Food and Agriculture Organisation Pacific Sub regional Coordinator Gavin Wall, PNG Minister for Forestry Douglas Tomuriesa and EU commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete 

By FIDELIS SUKINA

Papua New Guineas forests hold the key for survival of the people and the government is planning to allocate two million hectares to be reserved for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)

REDD is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.

 "REDD+" goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Minister for Forestry Douglas Tomuriesa during the launching of a film on the National Forest Inventory and report on the forest land use in Papua New Guinea 2013, said the Climate  change was already impacting sectors like health agriculture and food security and conservation was important

“PNG acknowledges the serious threats posed by climate change and global warming to our people and our future plans for development and nation building.”

“Sectors like health agriculture and food security are being affected we take these threats very seriously not only because 85% of our 7 million people are directly dependent on the forest eco-system and for their basic daily needs”. Tomuriesa said

He added that the country wanted to do its part to address the climate change in the Pacific.

“As a nation it is important we do our part to address climate change in the pacific. We are seeking further support from our neigbours and friends to develop this program and take this position to the United Nations meeting in Paris later this year.” Tomuriesa said

 The Report on the forest and land usage in Papua New Guinea 2013 revealed that Papua New Guinea is the third largest tropical rain forest after the Amazon basin

and the Congo basin with 80% of its rain forest still intact.