The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has begun advancing its Blue-Green Economy policy to promote sustainable development in Bougainville. This initiative is a first at both the national and provincial levels, with the ABG team leading the way.
The policy development is spearheaded by the ABG Department of Lands, Physical Planning, Environment, Conservation, and Climate Change. The goal is to create robust frameworks for sustainable development in the region.
In January 2024, the Office of the Regional Member for Bougainville backed an initial consultation meeting, forming a Technical Working Group to aid the Department in policy development. This week’s consultation workshop at the Harvest conference facility builds on that first meeting and is the first of several planned consultations in the policy development process.
Lynette Baratai-Pokas, ABG Secretary for Lands, emphasized that a key outcome of this workshop will be a draft policy. This draft will be handed over to the department to plan and conduct stakeholder consultations over the next two months.
“We aim to develop a Blue-Green Economy Policy framework that not only captures sustainability trends but also significantly benefits Bougainville’s socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural landscape,” Baratai-Pokas stated. “We will ensure the policy framework is inclusive and addresses local governance, social, and business challenges.”
The workshop, held from Tuesday to Wednesday in Buka, aims to finalize a comprehensive draft policy incorporating input from relevant ABG departments before further stakeholder consultations. Representatives from the National Conservation and Environment Protection Authority, the Conservation and Climate Change Development Authority, and local stakeholders, including the Kunua Conservation Network, also attended the workshop.
