Date post: | 04-Feb-2016 |
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Rainforest in Papua New Guineayesterday - today - tomorrow
The sovereign state of Papua New Guinea after a vote in 1972 was established 1975.
• Apopulationof6Mioinhabitantsdispersedinareasseperatedfromeachotherbynaturalboundaries
• aconstantchangeofclimateandvegetation-theworldssecondbiggestislandnation
• PNGistoprankingbeyonddisputewhenitcomestobiodi-versity
• itweretheresourcesofthecountrywhichattractedfor-eigninterestalreadyinthe19thcentury.Koprawasthefavouritecashcropatthattime
• taxeswherechargedtogenerateademandformoneyandenableamarketeconomyaccordingtowesternstandards.
seashellswereacknowledgedasacomplementarycurrencyandtheTolaiExchangeBankdoesexchangetheseshells(fathom)intoofficialcurrency.Thecirculationvolumeissaidtobesomethingbetween6and8MioKinawhichcomparesto2MioEuro.
TheproblemagainhashistoricrootsifyoulookatthevolatilityoftheKoprapricebetween1910and1940.ForcedtosellmoreKopraforlessrevenuedidnotreallymakesensefromthepointofviewoftheindigenouspeople.Theoverallirritationabouttheactionsoftheadministration-whetherGermanorEnglish-contributedtowidespreadspeculationaboutsomespecialknowl-edgewesternerswerehavingandhid-ingfromthePapuans.
RimbunanBaseCamp. Truckinrainforest(source:PNGForestIndustriesAss.)
Loggingfortransportbytruck.
As we wait for the European Commission to consider legisla-tion to prevent illegal timber from entering Europe, a Green-peace team in Papua New Guinea have stepped in to prevent
a ship from loading up with wood of dubious provenance.
ThesovereignstateofPapuaNewGuineaafteravotein1972wasestablished1975,buttherewaslittleprogressinthesenseofamarketeconomy.PNGuntiltodayisheavilyexportorientedanddependentonthevolatilityofcommodityprices.
Thetransferoftheserevenuestothepopulationandtheestablishmentofregulationsandinfrastructureasapre-requisiteforadevelopingdomesticmarket-allthesearependingissuestoday.
ButrecentdevelopmentsfromPNGindicatethattheissuestartstoenteranewroundandthesettingisindeedchallenginginthatitispromisingandriskyatthesametime.
AGreenpeaceteamoccu-piestheHarbourGemini,carryingillegaltimberfromPapuaNewGuineaandboundforChina.
SirMichaelSomare—PapuaNewGuinea’s(PNG)PrimeMinister—jetssoontoCopenhagenpledgingtoprotectthecountry’srainforestsinexchangeforREDDcarbonmoney.Yetbackhomehehasleftalonglistofshamefulandcorruptrainforest/climatepolicies.AsCopenhagenandREDDtalksstart,SomarepalsRimbunanHijauof
MalaysiacontinuelogginginRamu,Madang,despiteacourtorderdemandingtheystop.Corruption,humanrightsabuses,andeco-logicaldevastationhavenoplaceinREDDorPapuaNewGuinea.NowisthetimetoaskthatMr.Somareensurecourtordersareupheldagainstillegallogging,andtoendtheindustrialloggingofprimaryrainforestsaspartofanyCopenhagenREDDdeal.