Drought plan launched in Lae

Chief Secretary to Government Manasupe Zurenuoc today (Wednesday, May 05, 2010) launched a major drought preparedness plan at the National Agriculture Research Institute at Bubia outside Lae.

The plan, appropriately titled, "Preparing Rural Communities in PNG for Drought and Climate Change", involves NARI as Papua New Guinea prepares for the next major expected drought in 2012 after the havoc caused by the last El Nino-induced drought in 1997.

Mr Zurenuoc said the launching of the project was very timely and relevant to the lives of PNG's farming and rural communities as the effects of climate change were all too real in these areas.

He said the changes taking place in the country's rainfall patterns had been much more sudden and unexpected due to variations in the strength and frequency of El Nino events in the tropical Pacific.

"These events are triggering severe dought conditions in PNG once every 10 to 12 years," Mr Zurenuoc told a stakeholder forum at Bubia.

"There are two major concerns with these El Nino events: the associated drought conditions they bring have been getting progressively more severe and causing ever-greater food and water security problems; and because they only happen sporadically, every 10-12 years, the necessity to put contingency measures in place to help them cope with these problems."

He commended NARI for taking the initiative over the past three years and campaigning to prepare PNG for drought, and indeed another mega-drought in the near future, particularly principal scientist Dr John Bailey.

Mr Zurenuoc said the PNG Government recognised the importance of what NARI was doing and was pleased to provide funding for this initiative under its Public Investment Programme (PIP).

"This will be a long-term investment to assist NARI and its partners in equipping a network of resource centres throughout the drought-vulnerable parts of the country," he said.

"It is envisaged that these resource centres – possibly 50 in total – will be located at existing stations or bases owned and operated by various extension or outreach organisations including the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, divisions of primary industry, non-government organisations, community-based organisations, schools and church-based organisations.

"I understand that NARI will work in partnership with all of these organisations to ensure that our communities are well prepared to cope with drought events in the foreseeable future."

The model resource centre, launched by Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, will be built at strategic points around the country.

"The model resource centre, on show here today with its poster displays, food-processing demonstrations and indoor technology displays, illustrates the types of information and resources that need to be made available to out rural communities," Mr Zurenuoc said.

"They have shown us how to alter the ways in which we manage and use our food and water resources in order to minimise the risks to food and water security during crisis."