K26.4mil to fund parks

 PAPUA New Guinea has secured K26.38 million (US$12.24 million) from the Global Environment Facility to fund the rehabilitation of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and wildlife management areas.

Environment and Conservation Minister John Pundari secured the funding at the two-day GEF Pacific constituency meeting in Sydney, Australia, last week.

The meeting was attended by government officials and ministers from 13 member countries of the constituency. 

“I had fruitful discussions with the GEF secretariat and am pleased to announce that the US$12.24 million allocation will fall under GEF’s biodiversity and land degradation focal areas,” he said. 

“The letter of endorsement for the funds was also signed and transmitted to the GEF secretariat at the meeting.”

He also met the GEF secretariat and senior technical advisers of the United Nations Development Programme to express the government’s position on how best they could work together to drive conservation programmes in PNG.

“I believe that may be the way forward for the future,” he said.

“The funding will be used to rehabilitate, enhance and maintain nationally significant protected areas in the country including sanctuaries and wildlife management areas.”