Park receives K175,000 support

By ZEDAIAH KANAU
THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) yesterday donated K175,000 to the Port Moresby Nature Park to support its conservation and education initiatives.
UNDP resident representative Dirk Wagener said that the grant would help the park further expand its work through the state of emergency and Covid-19 pandemic.
“UNDP over the years has been supporting the Nature Park as it’s a unique institution here in PNG,” Wagener said.
“We’ve been closely working here with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (Cepa) and other Government authorities in expanding the national protected areas network.
“We have been trying to not only expand the network but to try and put the network of protected areas on a sustainable financial footing,” he said.
“We’ve also tried to use this network of protected areas so that it can provide sustainable livelihood for people because at the end of the day people also have to derive a living.”
Nature Park general manager Michelle McGeorge thanked UNDP for its timely support saying that the funds would aid in its operations after it was impacted by the coronavirus.