Eco-Tourism in the Rain Forests of Crater Mountain, Papua New Guinea

by Research and Conservation Foundation of PNG

What's at Stake?

The Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) covers 2600 square kilometers, an area about the size of Rhode Island. Spanning three provinces which range from the Eastern Highlands at the peak, Simbu province in the mid-elevation region and Gulf province in the lowlands, it contains a full range of biodiversity, much of which is unique to Papua New Guinea (PNG). Primary forest blankets the lower elevations, while alpine scrub and grasslands occur higher up. The area is home to 220 bird species of which 49 are endemic and 84 mammal species, of which 15 are endemic. Although the WMA currently has a low population density, a number of threats are looming in the near future including industrial logging, mining and oil drilling.

To counter these threats, the project team is establishing locally-owned and operated research and ecotourism enterprises in the WMA. These enterprises provide lodging and guide services for visiting scientists, as well as for domestic and international visitors. The team is working with landowners to develop a land-use management plan which provides for biodiversity conservation and enterprise sustainability. We hope to demonstrate to government officials and other land-owners in PNG, that community managed lands can generate profits in a sustainable fashion.

	1997 Update
Successes and Challenges
"OK...So What?"

WHY BIODIVERSITY   FIELD STORIES   PARTICIPATE   RESULTS   MARKETSPACE ABOUT THE NETWORK   WHAT'S NEW   LEARNING MATERIALS   SEARCH   LINKS   SITE MAP   HOME