Bougainville pioneers sustainable development with new Blue-Green Economy Policy
The Autonomous Bougainville Government has commenced advancing its Blue-Green Economy policy development aimed at increased sustainable development in Bougainville. This is the first of its kind at both the national and provincial level which the ABG team is a pioneer in this area.
This work is being led by the ABG Department of Lands, Physical Planning, Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, aimed at establishing proper frameworks for sustainable development practices in Bougainville.
In January 2024, the Office of the Regional Member for Bougainville supported the initial consultation meeting, in which a Technical Working Group was established to support the Department in the policy development. The consultation workshop hosted this week at the Harvest conference facility is a continuation from this first engagement and is the first of a series of consultations to be held in the policy development process.
ABG Secretary for Lands, Lynette Baratai-Pokas said a key outcome of this first workshop will see the development of a draft policy that will be handed over to the department to plan and undertake stakeholder consultations over the next two months.
“We want to develop a Blue-Green Economy Policy framework that not only captures trends in sustainability but also has the real potential to significantly benefit Bougainville’s socioeconomic, environmental and cultural context,” she stated.
“We will ensure inclusivity in the development of this policy framework and that it responds to our local challenges in governance, social sector and business,” she added.
The Workshop commenced on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday in Buka, with plans to finalize a comprehensive draft policy that incorporates input from relevant ABG departments, before it undergoes further consultations from stakeholders.
The workshop was attended also by representatives from the National Conservation and Environment Protection Authority and Conservation,Climate Change Development Authority, and local stakeholders including the Kunua Conservation Network.
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