Ecotourism in the Forests of Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea

by Conservation International

What's at Stake?

The Lakekamu-Kunimaipa Basin is a vast 2500 square kilometer area that contains the largest expanse of unbroken humid forest in the southern watershed of peninsular Papua New Guinea (PNG). The PNG Conservation Needs Assessment deems the area high priority because it contains healthy populations of wildlife and plants that have been severely depleted in other areas of their range. Although the Basin currently has a low human population, numerous threats are looming: industrial logging, mining and the replacement of natural forest by monoculture plantations of oil palm.

To counter these threats, Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific of Papua New Guinea (FSP), Conservation International (CI), and local communities are working to establish community-owned and operated scientific field research and adventure tourism enterprises in the Basin. The idea is to provide a substantial incentive for conservation of the area's biological diversity and to demonstrate to policy makers at the national level that community management of ecotourism is an alternative to logging and mining.

The tropical forest field research station will eventually include a central lodge, a mapped trail system, and a series of blinds for observing wildlife. The community members will provide food, porterage 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 a series of seven overnight rest hunts along the historic Bulldog Trail. (This was the path followed by allied troops during the Second World War). Community members will be naturalist guides and offer support services. In both enterprises, community members will receive user fees paid by the visitors. FSP and CI will monitor the biological and socio-economic impacts of these project enterprises.

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