Biodiversity Conservation Network
16. Scientific and Adventure Tourism in the Forests of Lakekamu Basin
Location: Lakekamu-Kunimaipa Basin, Papua New Guinea Partners: Conservation International (CI)
Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific (FSP)
Wau Ecology Institute (WEI)Project Title: Landowner-based Conservation, Fostered by Science and Adventure Tourism in Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea BCN Funding: $355,487 Partner Contribution: $152,575 Grant Period: August 1, 1995 - July 31, 1998
Project Overview
The 2500 square kilometer Lakekamu-Kunimaipa Basin (the "Basin") contains the largest expanse of unbroken humid forest in the southern watershed of peninsular PNG. The Basin contains two areas deemed "of very high priority" for biodiversity conservation by the PNG Conservation Needs Assessment. The site contains healthy populations of many globally vulnerable species of birds, mammals, and other taxa. Although the Basin currently has a low human population density, a number of threats are looming in the near future, particularly industrial logging, creation of oil palm plantations, and mining.To counter these threats, CI and local communities are working to set-up landowner-owned and operated scientific field research and adventure tourism enterprises in the Basin. The research tourism enterprises are establishing and providing support for a tropical forest field station that eventually will include a central lodge, a mapped trail system, and a series of blinds for observing wildlife. Community members are also providing food, portering, and guide services to researchers. The adventure tourism enterprises being planned will establish and provide support for a walking trek that will include a rustic lodge near the airstrip and series of seven overnight rest huts along, in part, the historic Bulldog trail. Community members will also provide guide, naturalist, and support services. In both enterprises, community members will benefit from user fees paid by the visitors.
A central project component is monitoring the biological and socioeconomic impacts of project enterprises and other activities. It is expected that these enterprises, which depend upon the continued maintenance of large tracts of undisturbed forest, will provide a substantial incentive for conservation of the area's biological diversity, and will demonstrate to policy makers at the national level that community management of ecotourism is an alternative to logging and mining.
1996 Accomplishments
During the past year, the Lakekamu Basin Integrated Conservation and Development project expanded its staff and increased the capacity of field personnel and local stakeholders to implement the enterprise elements of the project. In April, FSP-PNG hired Thomas Paka as its Port Moresby based Project Coordinator. FSP and CI also contracted with a post-graduate student at UPNG to organize and analyze the socioeconomic data collected earlier by Community Outreach Officer Cosmas Makamet. Meanwhile, CI hired Gaikovina "Gai" Kula, former First Assistant Secretary for Nature Conservation at the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation, as its PNG Program Director, thus strengthening CI's ability to manage its projects throughout PNG.In late June, three Lakekamu Basin personnel went on a study tour of a BCN-funded joint Solomon Islands Development Trust/Maruia Society/CI project on the island of Makira, Solomon Islands, where the project staff benefited greatly from observing a more established Melanesian Integrated Conservation and Development Project (ICAD). On their return to PNG, they joined four Lakekamu Basin landowner representatives at a workshop designed to increase the ability of stakeholders, NGOs and tour operators to design, implement and manage successful ecotourism enterprises in PNG.
Success Stories
The four Lakekamu Basin landowner representatives who traveled in July to Madang had no idea what to expect from the workshop on Strategic Planning for Community Based Ecotourism Product Development in PNG. They had been hearing about ecotourism and its potential benefits for many months, but remained unsure of what it would entail and unconvinced that this sort of development was in their communities' best interests. Once at the workshop, Matai Kai, Clement Peter, Roehanny Yenip and Jacky Miwa joined other landowners, NGO representatives from similar ICAD projects elsewhere in PNG, tour operators and ecotourism professionals for a week of intensive, hands-on training, discussion and planning.Many of the concepts were difficult for someone with no business background to understand, but with help from a professional tour operator who spoke fluent Neo-Melanesian Pidgin, participants began to comprehend the complexities and difficulties of producing a successful ecotourism enterprise. The Lakekamu Basin representatives and field staff from FSP formulated a business plan that best suited their communities and the Basin environment. Afterwards, secure in a clearer understanding of ecotourism development, each of the landowners pledged to return to the Lakekamu Basin and work for the creation of ecotourism enterprises in their respective communities.
Challenges
The Lakekamu Basin project's most immediate challenge this year has been completing construction of the permanent field station at the Ivimka research site. Progress on this integral part of the project has been hampered by chronic illness among field personnel and the long supply lines to Wau and Lae. These two problems have been addressed by emphasizing prevention of malaria and other tropical diseases, while adequately and quickly treating them when they do occur, and by procuring larger amounts of medicines and replacement parts for integral pieces of equipment. As a result of these measures, construction of the field station should be completed by the end of 1996. The longer-term challenge is to continue to build the capacity of FSP field staff and local landowners to successfully implement the ICAD program.
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