3 Nov 2016

Climate change link to West Papua resource exploitation probed

From , 4:04 pm on 3 November 2016

A conference underway in Sydney today is seeking common solutions to two major areas of concern to people in the Pacific region.

'At the Intersection: Pacific Climate Change and Resource Exploitation in West Papua' runs for two days, hosted by Western Sydney University and the University of Sydney's West Papua Project.

The keynote speaker is Vanuatu's Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Ralph Regenvanu. Others attending include climate change scientists and West Papuan analysts.

The organiser, Dr Cammi Webb-Gannon from Western Sydney University says climate change and pernicious resource extraction in West Papua have a deep connection.

West Papuans have long expressed frustration about the environmental destruction caused by the Freeport mine operations in Mimika regency.

West Papuans have long expressed frustration about the environmental destruction caused by the Freeport mine operations in Mimika regency. Photo: MIneral Policy Institute