Hotspots and Handouts: Illusions of Conservation and Development in Papua New Guinea
نویسنده
چکیده
Once upon a time in the not too distant past an international NGO decided to do nature conservation in the Wasi river basin. This was [an] understandable idea. The place was the environmentalist’s dream. Lots and lots of bush filled with a multitude of flying and biting things. A diverse bunch of unwashed and scabrous savages leading traditional lives that they punctuated with stories and wars to give it some meaning. No industry, no logging or mining, just a virginal tract of scrub... One must ask why the Wasis have not stuffed the place up themselves? Are they, as some of our NGO friends suspected, the possessors of native wisdom that has allowed them to live in harmony with nature for an interminably long time? Unfortunately not... The distressing fact is the Wasis would have destroyed the place were it not for the malaria and other parasites that kill most of their kids, sap their energy and make them mad. In essence, their population has not been able to get to the level where it can push the resources to the point of scarcity... The best thing the international NGO ... could do would be to simply leave the Wasis alone while doing what they could to deter the nastier industries from entering the region... IF they could bring health, education and awareness to the villages, only then would there be a need to talk conservation (People Against Foreign NGO Neocolonialism 2003).
منابع مشابه
Global Health Diplomacy, National Integration, and Regional Development through the Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Programs in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Samoa
The South Pacific countries of Vanuatu, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea have ascended rapidly up the development spectrum in recent years, refining an independent and post-colonial economic and political identity that enhances their recognition on the world stage. All three countries have overcome economic, political and public health challenges in order to stake their claim to sovereignty. In this...
متن کاملMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in Melanesian Children with Haematogenous Osteomyelitis from the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea
Background: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been an important cause of bone infection since the 1940s. Current guidelines recommend targeted antibiotic use for osteomyelitis treatment informed by microbial sensitivity patterns. However, in settings without microbiology facilities, empirical antibiotic use is common. Unrecognized antibiotic resistance potentiates persisten...
متن کاملA Partnership Model for Improving Service Delivery in Remote Papua New Guinea: A Mixed Methods Evaluation
Background The Community Mine Continuation Agreement Middle (CMCA) and South Fly Health Program (the Health Program) is a partnership for improving health service delivery in remote Papua New Guinea (PNG). The Health Program is delivered by a private contractor working in partnership with existing health service providers to improve service delivery using existing government systems, where poss...
متن کاملConservation Complexities: Conservationists’ and Local Landowners’ Different Perceptions of Development and Conservation in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea
متن کامل
Using ecological niche modeling to determine avian richness hotspots
Understanding distributions of wildlife species is a key step towards identifying biodiversity hotspots and designing effective conservation strategies. In this paper, the spatial pattern of diversity of birds in Golestan Province, Iran was estimated. Ecological niche modeling was used to determine distributions of 144 bird species across the province using a maximum entropy algorithm. Richness...
متن کامل