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PNG requires new interventions to address climate change: Ogio
by Seniorl Anzu (06/05/09)
Papua New Guinea should look at new interventions in its policy initiatives to tackle the impact of climate change on agriculture and rural societies, Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Michael Ogio, said when giving the keynote address at the 2009 Agricultural Innovations Show at Bubia outside Lae on May 5, 2009. Mr Ogio said the issues of global warming and climate change are real and have already affected PNG agriculture in the last 50 years and more interventions are required for mitigation and adaptation.
“It is essential that the well-perceived interventions be embedded in new policy initiatives under the National Strategic Plan 2010-2050,” Mr Ogio said.
“Some of the interventions can be: 1) credit, input supplies and quality assurance; 2) crop insurance and minimum support price/ organised procurement/ marketing; 3) stabilisation funds; and 4) appropriate type of subsidies.”
NARI hosted the annual show which was organised around the theme “Adapting PNG Agriculture to Climate Change”. The occasion also marked the Institute’s 12th Anniversary.
Mr Ogio said PNG is certainly affected by global warming with average daily temperatures increasing by more than 1 oC (degree Celsius) since the past 50 years.
“This is a large enough increase to have significant adverse effects on both natural and farmed ecosystems.”
He said already there have been signs of climate change impact in PNG. These included increased pest and disease threats to food and cash crop production, such as the incursion of the Potato Late Blight disease; rising sea levels with already some 2000 residents from the Carteret Islands have had to be relocated to Bougainville; and the destruction of hunting grounds, food gardens and sago plantings on Manus island.
Situated on the western rim of the tropical pacific, PNG is also exposed to changes in ocean conditions in the Pacific which give rise to El Nino events, bringing drought conditions to PNG. In the last few decades, these drought events have become more frequent and severe, such as that in 1997. Mr Ogio said with predictions of continuation and increases in strength and frequency of El Nino, there is likelihood of another really severe drought event in three to four years time which the country must take measures now to prepare its people and communities to cope with food and water shortages during such severe droughts. And between such droughts, as experienced in the past, there could be periods of excess rainfall conditions often due to La Nina that also have serious effects on food supplies and security.
The Minister also congratulated NARI and its PNG and Australian partners for taking the initiative in developing a number of research and development projects aimed at addressing some aspects of the climate change problems in PNG. These strategies have five components which relate to early warning systems to alert farmers, diversification of cropping systems including breeding of tradition crops, the use of biotechnology to control and manage pests and diseases in major food and cash crops, dissemination of drought coping strategies to drought prone districts, and designing and establishment of water supply systems to communities in drought prone areas. Mr Ogio called on the participants at the show to visit the exhibits and take the awareness message home to share with families. He also highlighted that the Government of PNG has responded to this global phenomenon with the set-up of the Office of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability. This office is now actively engaged in putting mechanisms in place to curb deforestation. He also called on PNG to participate in activities that reduce green-house gases and gain considerably from them, such as carbon trading.
“Our country has the third largest rainforest area in the world. PNG stands to gain considerably from carbon trading as it will enable PNG to preserve and restore its rainforests.”