Land-Use Planning for a Sustainable Future in Papua New Guinea

As in other parts of Papua New Guinea, land in Morobe Province's YUS Conservation Area is held by clans for eternity. It is essential that they use their lands sustainably and collectively plan for long-term resource use. Land use planning is recognized by the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government as a national priority but has yet to be mainstreamed. It is also an essential component of the country's customary land tenure system. The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program's Land-Use Planning (LUP) program has proven to be an effective approach in fostering collaboration with the more than 15,000 people who live across the YUS landscape. The LUP program responds to incremental and compounding threats by facilitating land-use plans for all of the communities in YUS. Experience from the development and implementation of Land-Use Plans shows that the process is not only successful but is vital in facilitating community consensus over resource use by bringing neighboring clans together to agree on how to improve the use of existing land, which forests and reefs to use, and which forests and reefs to protect and declare off limits. The process is also valuable in promoting ecosystem connectivity across the landscape. The resulting plans are aligned directly with national and local plans to balance rural development and environmental protection. Land-Use Planning is an invaluable asset to TKCP and the people and wildlife that share the YUS Landscape, supporting the continued balance between sustainable resource use and protection.