Part
1: POKILI – THE LONG ROAD
The dusty road is somewhat long and bumpy.
However, on the West New Britain map, it
looks short and straight.
But the reality on the ground is different
for the Hoskins to Pokili road in the Talasea district. For the Nakanai locals,
it’s a backbreaking track they have had to endure for some time now.
From Hoskins, the road passes through
Vovosi, Porapora onto Makasili than further into the forests of the Pokili
wildlife management area (WMA).
Here the deterioration of the road is
noteworthy. As is the case with many rural roads in PNG, there are crater like potholes
everywhere. The significant contribution to road deterioration is lack of
maintenance.
And CLIMATE CHANGE.
The Hoskins to Pokili road is a government
road. It serves over 8,000 people in Hoskins LLG in the Talasea district.
From April 7-12, 2019, in Kimbe, the
provincial capital of West New Britain, a group of young PNG journalists
gathered at the Hotel Genesis to learn more about Climate Change, global
warming and the impacts on communities around Papua New Guinea.
A key word on the big screen in their
conference room was REDD+, which stands for Reduction of Emissions from
Deforestation, reduction of emissions from Degradation of forests, conservation
of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and Enhancement of
forest carbon stocks.
At the local level, it was an effort to
teach journalists on climate change reporting as well as understand REDD+ and have
a real time appreciation on issues that relate to impacts on communities so
their reporting can help locals recognize the real effects of climate change.
The conference was funded by the UNDP,
organized by the Climate Change Development Authority and supported by the PNG
Forest Authority, with input from the West New Britain Government’s Environment
division.
The team included experts Ms Heang Thy from
Cambodia, and Papua New Guineans, Ms Lydia Nenai (CCDA), Ms Deborah Meana
(REDD+), Mr Samson Kupale (CCDA), Mrs Ethel Namuri (CCDA) and former Wantok
Niuspepa General Manager Ms Anna Solomon.
Mr Desmond Vagelo, representing the West
New Britain Provincial Government’s environment division, gave an insight into
climate change and environment issues in the province.
But the real challenge for the whole team
was the long road trip to Pokili along a scenic coast road that has already
suffered from rising sea levels over the last decade which is attributed to the
effects of climate change.
The road itself is the economic lifeline
for the Nakanai people, who rely on it to transport their oil palm fruits,
cocoa and coconuts and their garden produce to markets in Kimbe. Their prized
catch is the exotic wild fowl or megapode egg, found in the Pokili WMA.
In Pokili is their other gem – the bubbly Pokili
hot springs - the stunning beauty of this geothermal lake formation is beyond
imagination. And in this steamy cauldron, an offshoot of the nearby active Mount
Pago volcano, the megapodes thrive.
The road from Porapora passes the Moramora
technical college, opened by former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in 2011.
The degradation of the once scenic beach
road from rising sea levels is clearly evident to the coastal Makasili and
Vavua villages. The villagers there point out that the road has being washed
away 3 times. We are travelling on the fourth section.
From Makasili, we head into the rainforest.
Any semblance of a proper road ends here. This is 4 wheel drive country, with thick
foliage, rainforest cover, birds, insects and dense undergrowth.
A newcomer can easily be lost in the
forest, but we are not taking any chances.
This road on the map is the bush track
leading to one of West New Britain’s most exotic steaming hot lakes.
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