6. PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Title of the Project
Ona Keto Community Reforestation Project

Summary
The Ona Keto Community Reforestation project is an initiative of the community of Ona and Keto people in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea. This project is to showcase to the public and the local community that, there is a way to combat the spread of grassland by engaging in tree planting (reforestation) work by mobilising the community and getting them to grow trees on their community land.

In the past the natural Oak forest has been converted through shifting agriculture, coffee plantation, grazing of goats and frequent burning by youth has led to fast spreading of grassland and community are facing difficulties in obtaining firewood, wood for building and also for other natural services like watershed protection and .
 

The system of community engagement will be different, unlike past where individuals planted a few trees on their own little plot of land and the issue of land will be combined together in order to start the planting. In the past land ownership issue was an obstacle to reforestation on large scale, but this system will be like a pilot scheme whereby all land owned by individuals will be put together and planted with trees. Once the trees are planted and after the 2 tending/weeding exercises, the ownership of the trees will then be transferred back to the individual land owners and they will be fully responsible to manage the trees by weeding/tending till the trees are mature. At the same time the local CBO partners will continue to monitor the growth of the trees and help in the management plan on pruning, thinning exercises in order to maximise the growth of the trees and to help in the spacing and stand density.
 

This project will be a major showcase whereby a smaller pilot project started in one village in 2003-2004 opened the eyes of the rest of the neighbouring villages that, reforestation should be undertaken on a larger scale, so many villager elders have requested for technical assistance a support through PWM.

Key Activities
1) Awareness talk to Clan elders & youths
2) Site identification Soil survey and land boundary demarcation exercise
3) Land Boundary demarcation
4) Inception workshop in 2 central location of the 2 tribes
5) MOU developed between Technical Assistance Partners
6) Ordering of seedlings of various trees species from Government central nursery
7) Progressive meeting with community to update on progress and also and a evaluation exercise for monitoring purposes
8) Regular Project Partners steering committee meeting to monitor progress of the project
9) Site preparation, Planting, Tending & Weeding and conducting other plantation management silvicultural exercises in the villages with the communities and training local people at the same time
10) Construction of Site village Nurseries and physical Assets both for the long terms and the immediate project needs by the PNGFA
11) Tribal Area monitoring meeting on progress and reporting
12) Combine Tribal Area Workshop on project
13) Primary Schools visit by RCF Awareness & Education Officers on Climate Change + WED every June 08/09
14) Community Rules Making Workshops ( Mangiro + Koningi)
15) Signing of project agreement with each village Reforestation Committee
16) Signing of MOU between Technical Assistance Team (PNGFA, PNGFRI, RCF & PWM)
17) Drafting of Submission to PNG National Forest Board for Funding Assistance
18) Mobilization & establishment of Community Reforestation Committees for each village

Contact Info

Kenn Mondiai - Executive Director of PWM
PO Box 1910, Port Moresby NCD 121 Papua New Guinea
Telephone - 675 3236344 or Mobile 675 6966175
Fax - 675 3236345
E-mail – kmondiai@pwmpng.org.pg (copied to chiefmondiai@yahoo.com.au)