Landowner participation in Papua New Guinea's forestry sector : a case study of Pepaur and the Kumil Timber Project, Madang Province
Date
1994
Authors
Mullins, Michael
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Abstract
Papua New Guinea, despite experiencing a significant increase over the past ten years in its rate of forest conversion, still possess forests covering approximately 70% of its land base. Both the national government and customary landowners believe that the country's remaining forests have the potential to make a significant contribution to national, provincial and local economic development. With the majority of land in Papua New Guinea under customary forms of tenure, achievement of this goal will be dependent upon effective partnership between the state and its forest-dwelling communities. At present, there are few good examples of of this partnership working in practice within Papua New Guinea, or South East Asia. Moreover, there is limited information currently available in Papua New Guinea about forest-dwellers involvement in timber projects and the impact that these projects have had on village society.
Working under the assumption that details investigation of existing timber projects might provide useful information to assist forestry policymakers, planners, and practitioners in their efforts to foster effective partnership between the state and forest-dwellers within Papua New Guinea, this study examines the case of Pepaur village, and its involvement in the Kumil timber project on the north coast of Madang province. The Kumil timber project was selected as a suitable case for study because of its size (55,000 hectares of mixed tropical lowland forest, home to approximately 4,000 subsistence farmers living in 23 villages), potential economic benefit (expected to generate upwards of $40 million (U.S.) in gross log sales over a 20 year period), and the fac that it represented one of the earliest attempts by the state to directly involve customary landownders in the commercial development of their ofrests through the establishment of a landowners' company.
The study was designed to gain insight into Pepaur social structures, particularly with respect to the issue of land tenure and forest use, and how the timber project has impacted on community stability and prosperity. It also focused on Ulingan Development Corporation, the landowners' company, and investigated its role as a vehicle for meaningful villager participation within forestry development.
Findings of the study indicated that Pepaur's experience within the project has been overwhelming negative. Few financial or other benefits made it down to the village level. Moreover, these benefits were not distributed equitably within the village. From an environmental standpoint, timber harvesting operations increased the intensity, extent and frequency of creek flooding, reduced water quality and destroyed locally valued freshwater shrimp habitat. In social terms, logging operations and local involvement in the landowners' company resulted in increased tension within Pepaur, and between Pepaur and its neighbours. It also re-enforced the village's shift away from a communal clan-based system of land tenure, to one based on the individual. Finally, the project eroded villager's confidence and trust in the ability of their leaders and the local political institutions to improve the quality of village life.