The Huon Peninsula has no cars, no telephone, and no TV - but it does have 76,000 hectares of intact forest and a population of 10,000. The forest is set to become Papua New Guinea's first conservation area.
As one of the first tropical rainforest projects to be set up under the International Climate Initiative, this is the first conservation area in which nature conservation and rural development are to go hand-in-hand. The area is host to a unique biological diversity and is also a significant carbon sink. The conservation efforts are expected to reduce CO2 emissions and thus contribute to climate mitigation.
The communities are committing themselves to using the forests in a sustainable manner and protecting the diversity of species, and in return they and their children are being provided with medical supplies and education.
