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| Karkum NrMA-CD map courtesy of TNC. |
By
WENCESLAUS MAGUN
Introduction
Conservation Deed is a flexible community-based, owned, driven,
managed, and sustained natural resource management area process using Contract
law.
Communities are given increased awareness opportunities to use their
traditional conservation practices in establishing their natural resources
management rules and penalties. They
make rules and penalties based on the social, traditional, and cultural
practices that are user-friendly, and applicable at their community
context. These laws and penalties binds
the parties to their promises and can be enforced in the National Court of
Justice in Papua New Guinea once all the parties countersign the Conservation
Deed.
It is a voluntary and flexible formal legal document from the
community that binds the parties who sign the Contract for a set timeframe to
manage and sustainably use the natural resources within their community’s resource
management area. It gives them a long-term community stake in the
protection of natural resources in ways that also meet their economic and
social needs.
The Conservation Deed is reviewed and renewed every three to
seven years using the most understood, used, and spoken language or
languages. This allows full and active participation by clan members
in the community or communities.
A Conservation Deed integrated into a Management Plan commits to
reflect the national laws on the environment permitted by Section 44 (1) of the
Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments. It further grounds the truth of the National
Protected Area Policy in real-time situations at the community level thus
contributing towards achieving specific targets identified by the government to
be achieved to meet both the national goals and directive principles
as well as the multinational Treaties signed and ratified by the government.
Lessons learned over the implementation of the Conservation Deed, are used to amend laws and penalties or include new laws and penalties during the review process.
Conservation Deed helps uphold and enforce the law and its penalties the clans in the community or communities themselves have established under their own appropriate traditional and suitable local needs.
This ensures that there is authentic governance of their natural resources at the community level that meets PNG’s Goals 4 and 5 of the Constitution, its protected area policy and law, related policies, laws, and the respective multilateral treaties and targets PNG has signed and ratified at the local context.
Penalties, fines, and community services provided by the party concerned in breaking the law or laws enforced in the Conservation Deed goes towards meeting community needs identified by the community or communities and managed by their natural resources management area’s management committee as the governing council that enforces the Conservation Deed.
The local indigenous clans in the community or communities will or have been supported by technical experts with many years of practicing the process of establishing natural resources management areas using the Conservation Deed.
This process engages with the community or communities through a community entry process which enables the facilitators to gather baseline information. The team also conducts social mapping, community needs assessment, land-use planning, natural resources management area mapping on the tribal customary land, conservation matrix, livelihood, gender, financial literacy, participatory community journalism, sewing, the different elements of a civil society organization (CSO) or community-based organization (CBO), and related workshops based on their training needs.
This intensive community consultation and facilitation process helps balance conservation outcomes with the clans in the community or communities’ social, infrastructure, and economic needs.
It further prepares the local community or communities to value and appreciate their appropriate traditional customary natural resources management customs and practices as well as the need to establish their natural resources management area using Conservation Deed before giving their free prior informed consent into the actual signing of the deed.
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| Late Mathew Dalek and his clansman tied a tanget as a customary practice to establish their NrMA using Conservation Deed on 11 November 2008. Picture by Wenceslaus Magun |
Management
Plan
Community Entry and Baseline Assessment
Visit villages and hold meetings, individual discussions etc with as many people as possible and take note of their concerns, and training needs whilst documenting lessons learned from them.
Step 1 – Introduction and Planning
1.1. Conduct an introduction to the planning process. Meet with the local community-based organization (CBO), clan leaders, and members of the clan (or clans).
1.2. Conduct a natural resources management area community profile and training needs assessment.
1.3. Conduct a thorough assessment of forests, rivers, lakes, grasslands, swamps, seas, lagoons, mangroves, estuaries, and mountains by patrolling and walk the land or dive their rivers, seas, lagoons, swamps, and lakes with the locals and the expert staff to carry out rapid biological assessments if not done.
Step 2 – Social Mapping, and Site
Protection
2.1. Gather information on species composition, nesting frequency, habitat quality, and
human
activities impacting the natural resources management area if not done.
2.2. Identify
and demarcate nesting sites for protection, restoration, implementing
measures
to minimize disturbances for the endangered species if not done.
2.3. Establish
community patrols to monitor the nesting activities of the endangered species
and deter poaching if not done.
2.4. Conduct Conservation Area matrix,
Conservation Deed rules and penalties, and review any past Conservation Deed
documents for the area and update them.
2.5. Facilitate the establishment of the
management committee and their rangers or Was Man na Meri workshops.
2.6. Use butcher papers to
draw sketch maps or do it on the ground with stones and natural materials.
Develop resource mapping, and community history if not done.
2.7. If
necessary, and affordable, engage a security firm to assist rangers provide security and
protection for the protection and restoration of the endangered fauna and flora
for both locals and outsiders to adhere to the laws and penalties established
in the Conservation Deed.
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| Wenceslaus Magun presents library books to Waging Bidang for Bagabag Primary School. |
Step 3 - Community Engagement and
Awareness
3.1. Hold informal meetings
with communities
in the villages and strengthen their management activities through engagement
in workshops, meetings, and educational campaigns to raise awareness about the
importance of conservation and the sustainable use of their forests, rivers,
lakes, swamps, mountains, seas, lagoons, mangroves, estuaries, and grassland
resources.
3.2. Provide training and capacity-building opportunities for awareness, conservation techniques, monitoring, tagging, data compilation, restoration of their flora and fauna, sustainable livelihood alternatives to balance conservation outcomes and related training and educational awareness for local community members, resource managers, and community rangers or Was Man na Meri on forest, rivers, lakes, swamps, mountain, seas, lagoons, mangroves, estuaries, and grassland if not done.
3.3. Encourage community participation in monitoring efforts and sustainable practices if not done.
Step
4 – Review CBO’s Vision, Mission, & Objectives
4.1. Community Visioning as an activity in this Step is to meet with clan and community leaders to review and or to develop their community vision for the future within their Community Development Association (CBO) if they have one.
4.2. If they
don’t have an Association, then help them set up their CBO’s Management Vision,
Mission, Goals, and Objectives by introducing them to clan leaders in a
community meeting management plan. Assist them in reviewing or
discussing their Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives.
4.3. Hold
further meetings or group discussions with individuals and or small cluster
groups of youths, women, people living with disabilities, and or others to
refine further their management plan’s Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives
if necessary.
Step
5 – Review Boundaries
5.1. Review or establish the
Boundary Demarcation for their village. Review their boundary
demarcation together with their management plan and Conservation Deed three
years after the launching of their CD if not done.
5.2. Meet with clan and community leaders,
identify the community and clan land boundaries in the field, identify any
boundary disputes, resolve disputes, and agree on the boundaries should there
be any issues arising. Agree on the land boundary or boundaries and
carry out the boundary or boundaries survey if not done.
Step 6 – Review or establish CD rules and
actions
6.1. Three years after the launching of their
CD, facilitate clan discussions and review their NrMAP-CD management rules and
actions.
6.2. Hold meetings with villagers, visit them,
and hold further meetings with all cluster groups and individuals and with as
many people as possible.
6.3. Review the outcome of discussions to date
at a second general village meeting.
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| Yamai villagers in Raicoast District, Madang Province, release a leatherback to sea. Picture by Simon Warr. |
Step
7 – Draft Management Plan
7.1. Prepare a written draft of the Natural Resource Management Area Plan for the villagers.
7.2. Ensure all agreed management objectives and
actions are documented in the Natural Resource Management Area Plan.
Step
8 – Review Governing Rules in the NrMAP-CD
8.1. Review the governing rules in the Natural
Resource Management Area Plan for the villagers.
8.2. Give copies of the draft Natural Resource
Management Area Plan and CD to clan leaders for review.
8.3. Call meetings with other stakeholders and
present them copies of the Natural Resource Management Area Plan and CD and
discuss the draft agreement and plan.
Step 9 – Finalize
NrMAP-CD
Finalize Natural
Resource Management Area Plan and CD.
Step 10 – Launching of
NrMAP-CD
10.1. Meet with villagers and present their Natural
Resource Management Area Plan and CD and finalize the date for the signing of
their management plan and CD.
10.2. When all is confirmed, launch the Natural
Resource Management Area Plan and CD.
10.3. Get the respective leaders to counter-sign it
witnessed by relevant stakeholders and neighboring villages’ representatives.
Step 11 – Media Publicity
11.1. Carry out media publicity and awareness
raising for the launch of the Natural Resource Management Area Plan and CD
during and after the launching of their CMMA-CD.
11.2. Share copies of the media story with the
villagers and relevant stakeholders.
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| MAKATA trained 47 women in basic sewing at Tarak village, Karkar Island in 2022. The CBO representatives from Sumgilbar LLG and Karkar LLG were each presented with sewing machines, tools and sewing materials. |
Step
12 – Monitoring and Evaluation
12.1. After the Natural Resource Management Area Plan
and CD implementation and launching, carry out monitoring and evaluation
exercises.
12.2. Teach the
villagers to conduct regular monitoring of flora and fauna and habitat conditions so that they continue to do that by themselves.
12.3. For the
accuracy of information and data, it is recommended that rangers from the
village and the neighboring communities receive proper capacity-building
training to collect data on the flora and fauna, their habitat conditions, and
threats to inform adaptive management strategies.
12.4. They can use the opportunity of
establishing their Natural
Resource Management Area Plan and CD to encourage scientific research
and collaboration with universities, colleges, students, researchers, corporate
entities, and research institutions.
Step 13 - Habitat Restoration
13.1. During the NrMAP-CD review process, three years after the launching of the NrMAP- CD, it would be recommendable to include in the CDs specific rules and penalties to restore and enhance nesting habitats of endangered species by implementing management control measures, vegetation restoration, and removal of debris and pollutants in their NrMA.
13.2. In the
meantime, these villagers may collaborate with local stakeholders, business
houses, schools, colleges, universities, churches, individuals, NGOs, CBOs,
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), donors, neighboring villages, other
communities doing NrMAP-CD or similar
projects and government agencies to implement sustainable NrMAP-CD development
practices and livelihood options.
Step 14 - Legislative Support
14.1. These villagers are called upon
to advocate for the enforcement of existing laws and regulations related
to NrMA.
14.2. They are to work with
government agencies to strengthen legal frameworks, establish protected areas,
and implement penalties for illegal harvesting and trade of endangered flora
and fauna and their natural resources products deemed not to be exploited in
their NrMAP-CD.
14.3. If
necessary and affordable through collaborative efforts, they may engage a
security firm to assist them in enforcing the laws and penalties enshrined in
the NrMAP-CD.
14.4. Their Ward Member or Members
may also call upon their LLG to enact an environmental bill and get their
Provincial Executive Council to pass it and make it a law in the province.
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| Debris washed ashore at Karkum Beach destroyed Community-Based nesting sites for sea turtles. Picture by Wenceslaus Magun |
Step 15 - Partnerships
and Collaboration:
15.1. These villagers are called upon to foster partnerships with other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non-government Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), neighboring villages and distant communities in both Papua New Guinea and abroad who have established Natural Resource Management Area Plans, Locally Marine Managed Areas (LMMAs), or Community Managed Marine Areas using Conservation Deed (CMMA-CDs), conservation organizations, academia, churches, corporate entities, and government agencies to leverage resources, expertise, and support for NrMA’s conservation efforts.
15.2. They are
to collaborate on research projects, fundraising initiatives, and policy advocacy campaigns.
Step 16 - Long-Term Sustainability
16.1. These villagers are to develop a long-term sustainability plan for their NrMA, by incorporating adaptive management principles, community stewardship, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
16.2. They are
to ensure the integration of NrMA, into broader natural resources management strategies including mangroves, estuaries, and habitat restoration.
Step 17 - Budget and Activities Schedule
17.1. These villagers may use this NrMA Plan to engage a stakeholder partner and or are at liberty to develop a Budget and Work Schedule for each step and their specific activities for their NrMA review, and raise funds to implement their respective NrMA, management plan inclusive of their CD.
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| USAID LGP team visited Mirap village in February 2024 and conducted a monitoring and evaluation exercise. Picture by Wenceslaus Magun |
Conclusion.
1. By
reviewing the NrMA – CD plan,
finalizing it, or developing one, raising funds, and implementing it, these
villagers can contribute to the conservation of endangered flora and fauna
species in their ward level, local level government, district, and province, to
meet global, regional, and national targets for protecting, restoring,
increasing, and sustaining the populations of the endangered flora and fauna.
2. These efforts
contribute towards achieving protected areas targets while promoting
sustainable development, including sustainable eco-tourism, being a conduit for
scientific research, education, cultural exchanges, economic opportunities, and
community resilience in the face of global warming and climate change impacts
in their Ward, LLG, District, Province, and in Papua New Guinea.
The End
