The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), supported a five-day workshop on community-level sustainable land use planning in Lae from July 8-13.
The workshop was led by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Forests for Certain: Forests for Life! (FORCERT) and was attended by representatives from national and provincial level government departments and NGOs.
Participants shared best practices in sustainable land use planning, including integrating traditional knowledge, working within existing structures, and applying sustainable land-use approaches at the community level.
The workshop was held as part of USAID’s ongoing partnership with the Department of Lands and Physical Planning (DLPP) to support implementation of PNG’s National Sustainable Land Use Policy (SLUP).
USAID’s Country Representative Nino Nadiradze reaffirmed USAID’s support for sustainable land use in PNG.
“This workshop will equip local communities with the knowledge and skills they need to manage their land sustainably and to promote conservation.”
“USAID is proud to partner with DLPP to support the PNG National Sustainable Land Use Policy.”
Participants discussed different tools and processes for land use management and shared best practices for supporting participatory land use planning processes at the community, ward, and district levels.
FORCERT Manager Cosmas Makamet shared, “We are excited about the excellent collaboration between the Department of Lands and Physical Planning, USAID, and NGOs with experience in sustainable landscape planning at the community level.”
“This collaboration will result in a practical and workable system of community SLUP best practices that can be used by local governments throughout the country.”
USAID’s PNG Sustainable Landscapes (PNGSL) Program supports the Government of Papua New Guinea’s efforts to improve natural resource management and promote sustainable land use. PNGSL is implemented by Palladium.