PNG forests play vital role against climate change

Caption:   (L) Resident UN Coordinator PNG, Roy Trivedy and Helen Clark

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, April 6, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

PNG has the third largest reserve of rainforests in the world, and its preservation is of global significance.

Visiting head of the United Nations Development Program, Helen Clark, made the remark when asked about the importance of the country’s involvement in the REDD+ initiative.

“The great innovation of REDD+ is that it provides a way for countries to be paid to keep their forests,” she pointed out.

“In the past development has been about cutting down forests, for other supposedly economic uses.”

“This has brought the planet onto the brink of disaster, because the forests are the planet’s lungs.”

“It is of international significance for papua New Guinea to retain it forests, and the work we can do is to support Papua New Guinea to get things set up so it can access the international funding for REDD+.”

Ms Clark said that there is a lot of international funding for REDD+ available- giving an example of the engagement with the Norwegian Government, which announced a US$1 billion dollars for Indonesia for its forests.

“So a lot of things have to be done to set up the mechanism, institutions, community consultation, for funders to be assured that if commitments are made to keep forests- they must be measured and monitored because they pay on results, and these results flowing from REDD+ can benefit the development of the people.”

The UNDP Head added that the majority of people in the country live in rural areas with rainforests who want a better life.

“They want education, health, livelihoods; they want jobs- so there is a whole package that has to be put around this in what we can bring to this.”

“We would like to see PNG tropical forests play their part to be the lungs of the planet, while people’s development can also proceed,” she concluded.