PNG’s progress jeopardized by inequity and environmental threats

 

Above: Sewerage from Chinese workers’ compound dumped into waterway at Ramu Nickel’s Basamuk Site, Madang, Papua New Guinea

“Papua New Guinea’s progress jeopardized by inequalities and environmental threats,” that is the stark warning from the United Nations Development Agency. Today it launches the 2011 Human Development Report in Port Moresby

The report highlights that in terms of Gender Inequality Index (GII), which reflects gender-based inequalities in three dimensions i.e. reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity, Papua New Guinea has a GII value of 0.674, ranking it 140 out of 146 countries in the 2011 index. A key area that PNG needs to strengthen and address as matter of urgency, for instance on maternal mortality, i.e. for every 100,000 live births, 250 women die from pregnancy-related causes.

“By the time of compilation of data on this index, Papua New Guinea had 0.9 per cent of parliamentary seats are held by women. There is more that needs to be done so as to increase women representation in parliament and other decision making bodies,” the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Mr. David McLachlan-Karr noted.

Mr McLachlan-Karr also stressed that Papua New Guinea has high rates of natural resource depletion where the forest area of 64 percent has been reduced by 8 percent. Other key issues that need to be addressed is the sea level rise threatening some of the PNG Islands; environmental degradation and climate change that will have adverse effects across groups and lead to major declines in fish stocks, an important source of livelihood and export income for PNG.

The UNDP 2011 Human Development Report, which will be launched TODAY at 3.30pm at the 4^th Floor Conference Room, Vulupindi Haus, Waigani. The Minister for National Planning, the Hon. Sam Basil and UN Resident Coordinator David McLachlan-Karr will launch the report together