<< More about the Ocean and Islands Programme

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• Past Interventions
• Current Issues for PNG
• Programme Response

The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the ocean and island ecosystems of PNG create both opportunities and constraints to its development. The recognition of these ecosystems as components of the Earth system - a dynamic, complex blend of environmental, economic and social factors interacting in a myriad of ways - is absolutely fundamental to the understanding of sustainable development.

The overall goal of the Ocean and Islands Programme, to improve technical knowledge of ocean and island ecosystems for the sustainable management of natural resources, demonstrates a clear role in ecosystem management, with interventions focused on mapping and monitoring the physical and chemical attributes of ecosystems, and providing resource use solutions and assessments to its Island States membership. The Ocean and Islands Programme also provides assistance and support towards the development of sound policies and regulations, and meeting obligations under various treaties and agreements.

Outputs under the ‘resource use solutions’ and ‘monitoring the physical and chemical change in ecosystems’ components of the Programme can address many of PNG’s issues that relate to sustainable development. These issues will need to be considered by the PNG Government when they develop their National Sustainable Development Strategy and related plan of action.

Past Interventions

• JAMSTEC in cooperation with SOPAC & Nippon Foundation provided handling techniques of oceanic & meteorological data to young marine professionals of Pacific Coastal States in the equatorial & the southwestern Pacific Ocean region, which includes PNG.
• Training PNG nationals in Earth Science and Marine Geology through the formal Certificate in Earth Science and Marine Geology course offered by SOPAC and an important capacity building element of SOPACs’ three key technical programme areas2.
• SOPAC in conjunction with National Tidal Facility Australia (NTFA), Geoscience Australia (GA and AMSAT undertake Calibration & Maintenance Visits, Precise Differential Levelling and Continuous Global Positioning Systems (CGPS) for Pacific Island Countries including PNG3.
• As part of the five-year Japan/SOPAC programme, a research cruise was carried out in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of PNG in 1992. The purpose of the survey was to assess the potential for resources of hydrothermal deposits in the EEZ of PNG. The cruise took place in the western half of the Bismarck Sea within the EEZ of the country4.
• On July 17, 1998 three tsunami waves, with cumulative amplitude of 15 meters, inundated the northeast shore of Papua New Guinea leaving a trail of death and destruction. The tsunami was believed to result from a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that was located in the Sissano vicinity. To complement the on land surveys and to address the problem of how and why a tsunami of such a large magnitude was formed, the South Pacific Geoscience Commission and the Japan Marine Science and Technology Centre organised and carried out two surveys offshore of the devastated area.
• A number of initiatives have been undertaken to assist PNG and other member states better coordinate marine scientific research in their EEZ and develop relevant offshore mining policies to address increase in commercial interest for exploration of offshore resources, particularly polymetallic hydrothermal deposits. This culminated in the publication of the Madang Guidelines in 1999.

Current Issues for PNG

The following environmental, economic and social issues and concerns that can be addressed under the Oceans and Islands Programme, either wholly or in part, have been cited in various assessment reports and national development plans of Papua New Guinea:

• Inability of Papua New Guinea’s government to translate large revenues from its rich minerals sector into sustainable development for the country at large.
• Need to upgrade environmental management through legislative and institutional strengthening.
• Need to upgrade infrastructure and institutional investments in sea and inland waterway transport.
• Conservation management capacity lacking, especially to protect biodiversity.
• Institutional weaknesses in the environment, conservation, forestry, fisheries, mining and petroleum administrations.
• Forestry and fisheries surveillance activities are inadequate
• Sustainable management of ocean and coastal marine resources.

Programme Response

The Ocean and Islands Programme addresses the sustainable development of island ecosystems as a whole. This is reflected in the components of the programme, which tackle sustainable development issues through regional programmes as well as through specific requests from the member countries themselves. In response to specific issues in PNG, the Ocean and Islands Programme has implemented or is currently involved in the following projects:

The following regional projects cover all SOPAC member countries including the PNG Islands:

• The establishment and maintenance of a regional deep-sea minerals database.
• The Certificate of Earth Science and Marine Geology [CESMG] builds the capacity of island member nationals in the areas of applied geoscience and forms the basis, for some, to pursue higher education in degree courses in geoscience.
• SOPAC’s monitoring of the physical and chemical change in ecosystems of island member countries embraces the philosophy of Global Ocean Observing Systems [GOOS], which advocates public access to long-term oceanographic data and information. The recently established regional alliance of GOOS, the Pacific Islands – Global Ocean Observing System [PI-GOOS] , seeks to ensure that relevant applications for ocean observations and resulting products from global, regional and national long-term observing systems are developed and made available to Pacific Island end-users in order that they can make better decisions for sustainable development.
• The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project provides tide gauge and other data, and related products, collected over the past fifteen years. SOPAC provides an important maintenance and operations role for project equipment installations.
• SOPAC also offers assistance in the area of Ocean Governance, by offering professional development programmes for strengthening legal and negotiation skills of advocates for maritime boundary delimitation , the implementation of Part XIII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS] through the provision of technical skills and policy advice , and the coordination of issues related to the law of the sea in their member country regions.