Exploring the rainforest of Papua New Guinea | DW Documentary

Key Concepts:

• Deforestation in Papua New Guinea
• Primary forests and biodiversity
• Sustainable development and agroforestry
• Community-based conservation
• National Forest Inventory
• The STREIT Program
• Illegal logging and corruption
• The role of Papa Graun (hereditary landowners)
• Climate change and forest preservation

1. Introduction: Mundiya Kepanga, Son of the Forest

• Mundiya Kepanga, a chief of the Huli tribe from the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea, identifies as a "son of the forest" due to his birth under a kouradja tree.
• He has traveled the world to advocate for the protection of forests and their biodiversity.
• Deforestation has significantly impacted Papua New Guinea, but there are emerging solutions.
• He is preparing to travel to observe these new approaches to forest conservation.
• He gave a speech at UNESCO during COP21, addressing world leaders on climate change.

2. The Fight Against Deforestation

• Kepanga has been fighting against deforestation for over 20 years and is an ambassador for the forests.
• He received two Greenpeace awards for a documentary exposing illegal logging.
• Corruption and forestry laws have allowed foreign companies to exploit Papua New Guinea's forests.
• Over 1.5 million hectares of forest have been destroyed, equivalent to half the surface area of Belgium.
• Papua New Guinea's forest is ancient, predating even the Huli tribe.

3. The Importance of Papua New Guinea's Forests

• Forests cover over 75% of Papua New Guinea, which is located north of Australia.
• Despite its small size on maps, Papua New Guinea holds the world's third-largest primary forest, after the Amazon and Congolian rainforests.
• The forests are home to unique species, including birds-of-paradise and nearly 15,000 plant species.
• Papua New Guinea contains over 5% of global biodiversity, despite making up less than 1% of the world's land.
• Examples of unique species include Victoria crowned pigeons, tree-kangaroos, and green tree pythons.
• Each clan in Papua New Guinea considers itself descended from an animal ancestor.

4. The Rights of the Papa Graun and the National Forest Inventory

• The Constitution recognizes the forests as belonging to the Papa Graun, the hereditary landowners.
• However, laws in 1996 enabled the circumvention of these rights, leading to increased deforestation.
• Papua New Guinea became a major exporter of tropical timber, with over 2.8 million cubic meters sold annually.
• This trade is often illegal and disregards local laws and customs.
• Redley Opasa, a scientist, seeks authorization from the community to conduct the National Forest Inventory.
• The inventory is a government initiative to understand and preserve the forests.
• Some locals are skeptical due to past exploitation, referred to as "stone heads."
• The inventory aims to help the government develop sustainable projects that protect the environment.

5. The National Forest Inventory: A Detailed Study

• Kepanga accompanies Redley to observe the inventory campaign in the lowland region.
• Papua New Guinea has diverse forests based on altitude and geography, including primary, secondary, mountain, and coastal forests.
• The National Forest Inventory is a long-term project (over 10 years) to understand the country's natural resources.
• A team of scientists, botanists, and insect/bird specialists is involved in the inventory.
• The inventory studies trees, birds, animals, and insects, with 70% of the animals being endemic.
• Moth trapping is used to measure biodiversity levels.
• The inventory is financed by the European Union and covers 240 locations.
• The inventory will help identify damaged areas for reforestation and areas suitable for commercial crops like coffee, vanilla, and palm oil.
• It will also highlight untouched, precious forest zones for preservation.

6. Entomology Research and Biodiversity

• The entomology research center near Madang, run by John Auga, houses over 5,000 insect species.
• Papua New Guinea has over 1,000 butterfly species, many yet to be discovered.
• The world's largest moth lives in Papua New Guinea.
• There is a possibility of a new insect species being named "Mundiyus Kepangus."
• Insects, like humans, have complex lives, building houses, starting families, and communicating.
• Small insects are an essential part of biodiversity, and their disappearance would threaten humankind.

7. Agroforestry and the STREIT Program

• Domestic farming is the second-largest cause of primary forest loss.
• Slash-and-burn agriculture is a common practice but is often used indiscriminately, leading to fires and infertile soil.
• The United Nations and the European Union have launched the "STREIT" program to rehabilitate damaged forests.
• Kepanga joins Nanda Siri, a vanilla specialist, in the Sepik region, which has been heavily affected by deforestation.
• The STREIT Program is the most significant development project in the South Pacific, supported by 100 million euros from the European Union.
• The program focuses on protecting primary forests by reforesting cleared land using agroforestry.
• The program impacts over 250,000 people in the Sepik region.
• Vanilla cultivation is promoted as a sustainable alternative.
• Agroforestry involves planting trees to support vanilla vines.
• Vanilla pollination is taught to locals, and the pods are dried and sold.
• Farmers can earn a significant income (e.g., 11,000 kinas per year) from vanilla sales.

8. Alternative Solutions: Plantations and Community-Based Conservation

• Agroforestry is presented as a better alternative to large plantations like oil palm, coconut palm, sugarcane, and cattle breeding.
• Cash crops are essential for food and the economy, but they can lead to land degradation.
• Cultivated tree plantations, like the one in Bulolo established in 1956, can provide timber without destroying primary forests.
• David Bogen, a government representative from the National Forest Authority, highlights the potential of plantations to protect primary forests.
• The Bulolo plantation covers 12,000 hectares.
• Some Papa Graun have chosen to completely preserve their lands.
• In Baitabag village, residents lease their primary forest to scientists for research, generating income for conservation.
• Philippe and Niels, myrmecologists (ant specialists), study ants in the Baitabag forest using a canopy crane.
• The Papa Graun community agreed to host the crane, which is a source of revenue and scientific training.
• The crane allows scientists to study animals at different heights in the forest canopy.

9. Wildlife Conservation and Cultural Preservation

• At the Goroka festival, the Wildlife Conservation Society raises awareness about headdress feather use.
• Susan, Kambi, and Markis from the Wildlife Conservation Society study headdresses to assess the impact on bird populations.
• The study reveals that there are more feathers on headdresses than birds in the wild.
• Headdress protection kits, containing paper, plastic, and mothballs, are distributed to dancers to extend the lifespan of feathers.
• The kits help preserve both the animals and the cultural identity associated with headdresses.
• Dancers are encouraged to be more careful and protect the animals.

10. Political Will and the Future of Papua New Guinea's Forests

• Kepanga visits Port Moresby, the capital, where the constitution recognizes trees, plants, and animals as protected heritage.
• Sustaining the Papa Graun through alternative projects is crucial for forest protection.
• Kepanga meets with Gary Juffa, a member of Parliament and advocate for the environment, to discuss government reforms.
• Juffa highlights the challenges of combating illegal logging and corruption, which are often driven by criminal organizations.
• The responsibility of those in Parliament is to protect the natural environment.
• The future of the forests is uncertain, but there are ways to protect them, and everyone can play a role.
• The Prime Minister has pledged to cease issuing new timber permits and ban log exports by 2025.
• The Prime Minister's declaration at the United Nations headquarters in New York emphasizes the need for action to save the Earth.

11. Conclusion: A Call to Action

• Individuals must take action to protect the environment, regardless of government promises.
• Examples of actions include planting trees and developing agroforestry crops.
• Everyone is interconnected and must care for the planet.
• Kepanga's family cemetery symbolizes the connection to the land and ancestors.
• Kepanga expresses his wish to be buried on his land and to become a bird after death, watching over the forests.
• He emphasizes the importance of planting trees and caring for all living things.
• He hopes that small insects will continue to thrive in the forests and that scientists might name one "Mundiyus Kepangus."
• He plants a kouradja tree for the future generation, urging them to care for it and the world.