A Papua New Guinea environmental and social activist has delivered a scathing assessment of stewardship of the country's forest resources by its politicians.
Dorothy Tekwie says PNG's government cannot claim to be serious about climate change impacts when it continues to allow unsustainable logging.
The West Sepik-based activist says too many politicians are involved in the business of logging and that rampant clearance of forests on the Indonesian side of New Guinea is also out of control.
She says if nothing is done to curb logging and forest clearance, the island's great biodiversity will soon be gone.
"It's no point Papua New Guinea representatives, Indonesian representatives or West Papua representatives going to climate change meetings, international forums, and talk about what they're doing in their country, that's a lot of bullshit.They're not doing anything to conserve and preserve and protect the interests of the people, which is the heritage that this island has been blessed with."
Dorothy Tekwie's comments come after PNG recently hosted the 3rd APEC Forest Ministers meeting.
The final recommendation of the Ministers' meeting were worded around supporting sustainable forest management; efforts towards forest conservation and rehabilitation to mitigate the impact of climate change; as well as combatting illegal logging and associated trade.
Harvested logs in PNG Photo: RNZI/Johnny Blades
