Papua New Guinea United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification: national report for the fifth session of the committee for the review of the implementation of the Convention

Abstract

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a unique country. It is located on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea including the large islands of the Bismarck Archipelago including New Britain, New Ireland, and Bougainville further to the east. Its’ population of 5.7 million people is scattered throughout the 464 000 km2 of landmass including more than 600 small islands. PNG is a very rich country in terms of its natural resources which includes mineral, petroleum, gas, forestry, fisheries, land and agricultural resources. It is often described as an ‘island of gold floating on a sea of oil’. Its’ varied marine, volcanic, mountainous, swampy, freshwater, and forest environment is home to 6 percent of the world’s total biodiversity. Nowhere else on this planet is its biological diversity equally matched by its cultural diversity than it is in PNG? Over 97 percent of land is owned by customary landowners including resources on, under and above land. The people speak over 800 different languages and belong to over ten thousand autonomous tribes with their unique social, cultural and political features.