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Effects of Logging in Papua New Guinea

A case study in Sogeram, Madang Province

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Tables of Content

1. Introduction....................................................................................................................3

1.1 Case Study: Rimbunan Hijau(RH) Logging in Sogeram, Madang Province..............3

2. Impacts…………………………………………………………………………………4

2.2 Environmental .................................................................................................................4

2.2.1 Health (Food Security)………………………………………………………….4

2.2.2 Water.....................................................................................................................4

2.2.3 Economic...............................................................................................................5

2.2.4 Social .......................................................................................................................5

3 Government Policy onForest.................................................................................................6

4 Solution....................................................................................................................................6

4.1 Community Benefits………………………………………………………………………………..6

5 Summary..................................................................................................................................7

5.1Recommendation.................................................................................................................7

6 References.................................................................................................................................8

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1. Introduction

Logging is the process, work or business of cutting down trees and transporting the logs to

sawmill. (Online Dictionary Reference).It has been one of the most prominent and best known

forms of rainforest degradation in Papua New Guinea. Despite of the newly of introduced

logging techniques, implemented laws and awareness on the future implication on the virgin

rainforests in PNG, still our forest depletes everyday due to unsustainable and illegal logging in

our tropical rainforest the logging giants.

Most of the locals depend entirely on the tropical forest as their homes for hundreds of years.

The land and forest are the most important economic resources that provided them with food,

building materials for shelter, medicinal plants and other products to meet their subsistence

needs. Their relationship with the land has formed a deeply rooted bond to their societies,

cultural and spiritual lives. Because the forest is so central and home of the locals, most forest

people have come up with innovative and sustainable ways to protect and manage to ensure that

their needs are met and that forest ecosystem is protected.

1.1 Case Study

Malaysian giant Rimbunan Hijau (RH) is one of the most unsustainable logging companies that

have operated in almost all parts of PNG causing major environmental destructions. RH operates

in Western, New Ireland, Manus, Sandaun and has recently moved to Sogeram in Madang

Province. Due to their continuous unsustainable and illegal logging practises, it has alerted the

resources owners and concerned citizens to be more vocal on the environmental problems. The

concern authorities used media as a tool to disseminate campaign to the multi- giant company to

stop the ill practise on the environment and try to be environmental friendly as forest is their

home. According to Barney Zwarts, environmental vandalism by loggers in PNG is destroying the

nation and its people. Thus, this simply portrays the negative impact of logging on the natural

environment and the people of PNG.

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2. Impacts

2.2 Environmental

2.2.1 Health (Food Security)

Logging has had a severe impact on food and other resources which form the basis of the

livelihoods of many forest-dependent peoples (Forest Monitor Rights). In terms of food resources,

wild meats and fish have represented vital sources of proteins. According to numerous studies on

food resources, it has clearly indicated that the availability of wild meat have declined

dramatically due to logging. Likewise similar scenario will likely to come into effect if PNG

landowners and Governments are not vocal on their land. According reliable sources interviewed

from the Sogeram Block 1 in Madang Province, all wild proteins have migrated right into the

deep forest which makes it quite difficult for hunting. Due introduction of logging operations,

it’s even quite harder for the locals to catch or to the extreme to return with empty handed home.

Because of over exploitation of the natural rainforest, it has poised threat to their lives were they

either migrated inland of the forest or can be concluded to their extinction.

2.2.2 Water

As watersheds are destroyed and rivers become silted and contaminated, locals are deprived and

suffered of the most vital resources for survival. Streams and rivers provide clean water and also

alternative sources of protein which include fish shells, prawns and crabs. Locals usually

substitute from their environment in terms of protein though hunting or fishing. However, due to

water contamination, food chain is also affected alone the line, as evidently in Cameroon, Alotau

Province in Papua New Guinea. Destruction of the rainforest has resulted in loss of food and

pollution of water sources which further leads to health problems. Especially for the forest

dependents, their lives are at a greater risk, most importantly the women and children are the

once that suffer the most. In Sarawak, in the late 1970s and early 1980s malnutrition became a

widespread due to unsustainable logging. (Forest Monitor Rights). According to Carolyn Court,

forest destruction through logging has affected people in the villages and women too. Especially

clear- felling pollutes drinking water and causes breeding grounds for the mosquitoes (leads to

malaria). Also oil spills pollutes drinking water and can be very harmful in terms of skin

diseases.

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2.2.3 Economic

Food crops such as breadfruit tress, sago, coconut palms and other tree foods have been

bulldozed by machinery for development purposes such as wharfs, bridges and roads. As a

result, food shortages were encounter by the locals which leads to malnutrition and other related

diseases. Shortages of organic food from the devastated vicinity of logging have further forced

the locals to be more dependable on manufactured goods like rice, flour, tinned fish, meat and

fresh proteins such as chicken, lamb flaps from the stores. Theses have furthermore implicated

short and long terms effects to individuals and the community as a whole. Short term effects

includes various introduced disease such as tooth decay, diarrhoea, dysentery, constipation while

long term effects include expensive lifestyle to sustain and addiction to manufactured goods than

the organic ones. This might likely to open doors to other related problems to penetrate to their

society in the future.

Turning logs into wood maximizes a local resource and employs local residents. Most of the logs

harvested are locally promotes downstream processing which generates income to the locals and

at the same time creates employment opportunities for the people of PNG. Instead of logs

harvested and shipped overseas, we can keep those funds and jobs in the local economy instead

of paying out trucking, petroleum and distant milling operations.

2.2.4 Social

When logging company venture into forest vested areas, locals take advantages and create small

landowners’ company and operates. As more income is generated into the area, it opens gates for

social problems. When social predicament arises, it affects especially the children and women

the province. Like marriages break up, fatherless children, violence against women, prostitution,

polygamy, rape, and alcohol problems. Most of the women have no say in decision making about

the forest or land owner company. According rainforest Portal, massive cash payments and

brutal violence – to rife in the community which causes more serious problems like prostitution,

alcohol and other related dilemmas. Because of all these problems, PNG Forest Authority have

called on an immediate withdrawal of the company’s operation, nevertheless the multi giant

company operates in the area. (Post Courier, p4, 2010)

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3. Government Policy on Forest

Due to over exploitation of forest in PNG, the Forestry Commission have introduced forest

policy and legislation to protect the environment. The bill was issued in September 1991 by

National Executive Council which covers forest management, forest industry, forest research,

forest training and education, and forest organization and administration in which it was passed

and certified in the parliament. (http://www.tropmed.org/rreh/vol1_11.htm). In June 1992, the bill

was gazetted which then replace the old Departments of forest. The Act was effective as it

provides much tighter controls in the acquisition and allocation of the land for forest

developments. The Logging Code of Practice was finalized in which it highlights sustainable

logging which include environmental friendly, Downstream Processing Policy, Reforestation

Policy, Eco – Forestry Policy and forestry Research Policy.

4. Solution

4.1 Community Benefits

Instead of the Government continued to enforced and implemented strict laws on logging which

are not even effective till today, the government and the people of PNG should be environmental

friendly and support the idea of walkabout sawmill in the country than logging. Simply because

introduction of walkabout sawmill is an innovative and environmental friendly approach.

The introduction of the walkabout sawmill is an innovative and environmental friendly approach

by the most of the Non- Governmental Organization due the ill practise of logging giants in

PNG. Through walkabout sawmill, selective logging will be practise in these various areas in

which mature and precise tress will be selected and harvested. In that manner much of the forest

flora and fauna are protected and preserve for later use.

The thin blade also means that the mill has use less fuel to cut each log than the conventional

mill. In addition, by milling logs on-site, no fossil fuel is used to transport the logs to an offsite

mill or disposal site. Moreover, portable sawmill minimize waste stream by recycling and re-

using as much of the by-products of our work as possible. No waste, once the timber has been

cut; the remaining slabs are either chipped or cut for firewood. Sawdust and wood chips are

further converted to mulch or composted back to soil. Nothing needs to dispose of in a landfill.

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5. Summary

Regardless of implemented laws by the Forest Authority of PNG, still unsustainable and illegal

logging is still happening in PNG forests. The logging practise is causing irreversible damage to

our forest resources including, flora, fauna, watershed integrity and the quality of the soil. Forest

owners are not seeing tangible benefits and the future is in dim. Logging has greatly destroyed

subsistence livelihood to a more material lifestyle in which most of the population depends

entirely on most of the processed goods from the stores. According to Thomas Barnett, timber

industry had made life even more difficult for land owners and the citizens of Papua New

Guinea. The landowners face destruction of their environment and also their society. Thus, future

of the next generation is uncertain.

5.1 Recommendations

PNG government must emphasis more on downstream processing

Walkabout sawmill

Stop clear felling

Active in reforestation program

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6. References

Ahni, 2009, Landowners opposed to rainforest Destruction,

http://intercontinentalcry.org/landowners-opposed-to-rainforest-destruction/, accessed

12th

/09/2011, 9:34am

Barney Zwarts, 2010, http://www.theage.com.au/environment/rampant-logging-destroying-png-

20100226-p94l.html, accessed 11th

/09/2011, 10:29 pm

Forest Monitor Rights, Social Impacts of Logging,

http://www.forestsmonitor.org/en/reports/550066/550082, accessed 12th

/09/2011, 8:24am

Forest Monitor, 2006, Environmental Impacts of Logging,

http://www.forestsmonitor.org/fr/reports/550066/550083, accessed 12th

/09/2011, 8:53am

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/logging, accessed 12th

/09/2011, 8:05am

Rainforest Partial, 2010, Papua New Guinea: Logging Violence and Corruption Flare in Sogeram/Ramu Madang’s Mighty Forests, http://forests.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=png_ramu_rh,

12th/09/2011, 9:28am

Todagia Kelola, 2010, Appeal for logging firm to be stopped, http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20100322/news15.htm, accessed 12

th/09/2011, 9:31am