School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Theses
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ItemPerceptions of ecoforestry in selected project sites in Papua New Guinea( 2005)Land and forest resources in Papua New Guinea are held under customary ownership by clans. But clans have participated little in decision-making processes in any major forest resource development projects, although these have often had major effects on their areas and lives. The decisions about industrial logging have been made mainly by the government and multinational logging companies - though royalties have been paid to clans for extraction of the timber. Past logging operations have provided some infra-structural benefits but have also led to many environmental and socio-economic problems that affect the livelihoods of rural people. In an attempt to halt the further spread of large-scale logging, and under pressure from the World Bank, the European Union Commission to PNG and the Government of Papua New Guinea entered into a bilateral agreement to initiate the Papua New Guinea Ecoforestry Program in 1995. This was to be implemented through the involvement of clans as the forest resource owners. This study explores the experiences and views of clan members in two ecoforestry projects in West New Britain Province. The aims of the study were to describe the ecoforestry program in general and the two project study sites, and then to explore clan members' perceptions of the ecoforestry approach being promoted, based on their experience. The study was conducted with a view to identifying ways of improving the effectiveness of ecoforestry development projects in Papua New Guinea. Two ecoforestry project sites were chosen as case studies. The main data collection techniques were in-depth interviews with clan members participating in the ecoforestry projects, and observations of activities. The qualitative data collected were analysed using elements of a 'grounded theory' approach, which involved transcription of interviews from PNG Pidgin/English to word processed files in English, then examining and coding the transcripts for main themes. From these themes theory was developed about the way clan people viewed ecoforestry, and the prospects for the future of the approach. Data from secondary sources were used in description of the sites, and in the analysis and interpretation of data from interviews. The findings revealed strong views among some respondents about their gains in mechanical and management skills through the ecoforestry projects, and also on problems of transparency in financial management of projects, the hard work involved in ecoforestry, and difficulties faced by their female members left at home alone. Other difficulties mentioned were those of maintaining equipment and of sourcing spares for machines and securing reliable markets. Despite the many negative views expressed on ecoforestry, there was quite wide acceptance that the approach had major potential advantages in terms of self-determination for clans, learning skills, employment and income, village infrastructure and environmental care of the forest - when compared to industrial logging. In the final chapter a Force Field Analysis is used as a framework to discuss the implications of the main finding - for future efforts in ecoforestry in PNG. In general, the clan members were reluctant to give definite views on the future prospects of ecoforestry after withdrawal of the supporting aid agency. In answer to questions on this topic they tended to express views on the need for certain types of support in the future, and other ways for overcoming the difficulties of the past. There was a general desire to be given the opportunity to continue with the ecoforestry approach, in the hope that there would be improvement in community participation, skills and hence in benefits to their clans and communities.