Papua New Guinea has the third-largest rainforest in the world, but it is facing a serious crisis. Illegal logging activities are harming the environment, causing human rights violations, and leading to widespread corruption.
At the just-concluded 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, local environmental groups from Papua New Guinea raised these urgent issues and called for international action to stop illegal logging that is damaging one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.
Illegal logging is now a major global problem. It is worth about $155 billion a year and is considered the third-largest organised crime worldwide. This problem is fueled by high profits, weak laws, and low prosecution rates.
Aina Grødahl, a senior advisor from the Rainforest Foundation Norway, noted that forests in Papua New Guinea are being overexploited to meet the demand for timber, especially from countries like China and Malaysia.
