The Papua New Guinea (PNG) forests are vital for the human population that they sustain, the wide biological diversity they contain, the ecological services they provide and in maintaining climatic stability. They also provide commercial timber; approx. 3 million m³ of raw logs were exported in 2011.
This document is an important tool for promoting action. It highlights the importance of culturally‐responsive capacity development, with Pacific Islanders defining the most appropriate approaches to be used. This requires partnerships, programs, and processes that work closely with existing contexts and conditions, understand and reflect values and cultures, and help build on existing knowledge and the great strength of the region – community‐based management. That is the purpose of this framework.
This manual provides detailed guidance for assessing the social impacts – benefits and costs – of protected areas (PAs) and related conservation and development activities, at the local level using the relatively simple and low cost Social Assessment for Protected Areas (SAPA) methodology. SAPA can be used with PAs of any kind, including PAs managed and governed by government agencies, communities and the private sector.