Papua New Guinea Bets on Indigenous Communities to Protect 700,000 Hectares of Highlands By Kizito Makoye Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service.

Papua New Guinea Bets on Indigenous Communities to Protect 700,000 Hectares of Highlands By Kizito Makoye https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/06/papua-new-guinea-bets-on-indigenous-communities-to-protect-700000-hectares-of-highlands/ SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan, Jun 11 2026 (IPS) - The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved USD 6.4 million for a new conservation initiative in Papua New Guinea that seeks to protect 700,000 hectares of critical highland ecosystems by placing Indigenous Peoples and local communities at the centre of conserving and managing their ancestral lands. Implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and with expected USD 16.7 million in co-financing, the project aims to strengthen biodiversity corridors, support peacebuilding and improve environmental management across protected and productive landscapes. It is expected to improve management effectiveness across more than 276,000 hectares of protected areas, extend sustainable environmental practices to 1.6 million hectares, directly benefit 21,000 people and avoid nearly one million tonnes of carbon emissions. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service.