Carbon trading concept set for trail in Manus and NIP

MANUS and New Ireland provinces are sites where a locally-owned but globally focused carbon trading concept can be put on trial.
Goroka-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS-PNG) director Dr Ross Sinclair said this at a half-day meeting with provincial consultative team members of the Manus provincial administration at the Lorengau Harbour side hotel last Tuesday.
“We are here to specifically present the findings of a survey last year in three areas of Manus province on a carbon trading and forest management concept called Village REDD (reduced emission from deforestation and forest degradation).
“The concept is being developed by WCS-PNG with funding from AusAID. 
More significantly, our visit is aimed at informing government authorities and other stakeholders on the development of the concept thus far and to seek the provinces’ concurrence to move on to the next stage of the project – the actual concept trial or demonstration activity.
“As such WCS-PNG is recommending that a demonstration activity of its village-based REDD be undertaken in Manus province.
Last year’s survey involved 590 people from local communities in the two provinces, local level governments, district and provincial administrations, national agencies and NGOs.
WCS-PNG also commissioned research into analysis of legal issues like land groups, land tenure and forestry concessions, resolving disputes under the Land Disputes Settlement Act 1975 and customary measures of carbon stocks, forest use, food security and biodiversity co-benefits.