To improve conservation of the natural environment and biological diversity of the project area by assisting customary Resource owners to use and manage their resources in ways that are ecologically sound, socially beneficial and economically viable.

The Area:

The Kamiali Integrated Conservation And Development (ICAD) Project involves a 47,000 hectare area surrounding the coastal village of Lababia, 60 km south of Lae. This is part of a larger geographical region (approximately 220,000 hectares) starting from Lasanga Island on the Huon Gulf and extending to Lake Trist 1700 m above sea level. It comprises m,my different vegetation types: lowland tropical rainforest and tree swamps, low and high montane lorest, savannah grassland and dipterocarp forests.

The area is shown in the Papua New Guinea Conservation Needs Assessment showing it as possessingCritical Watersheds and Marine Ecosystems as well as high priority terrestrial areas. Of the 47,000 hectares at Kamiali 29,000 of this is terrestrial area and l 8,000 is marine area.

Background:

In 1992 VDT commenced a series of conservation and eco-forestry awareness initiatives with the village residents of Lababia, located 60 km south of Lae on the Huon Gulf. VDT eventually received the financial support of AusAID and World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), South Pacific Programme to expand early activities there. To date, Lababia is the only one of five villages in the area that has opted for sustainable small-scale development instead of .signing contracts with large ind~lstrial logging operators. In 1995 the community and VDT undertook to have the 47,000 hectare area surrounding Lababia declared as a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) under the PNG Fauna Protection Control Act. This marked the beginning of a new phase of VDT's work with partner organisations to demonstrate to villagers and others the environmental and economic benefits of taking an integrated approach to the issues of development and conservation. Through this undertaking came the formal adoption of the name "Kamiali Integrated Conservation And Development (ICAD) Project". The WMA was finally gazetted late in 1996 and the last three years has witnessed a number of accomplishments at Kamiali. Much of this has been supported by funding from the World Bank under its Social and Rural Development Action Program and from the Swedish Society For Nature Conservation (SNC).

Village Committee:

Village Development Trust works in the ICAD Project with a number of village representatives call the

Kamiali Conservation Project Committee

The Current KCP Committee members are

Mr. Steven Nasa .............chairman

Mr. Yaeng Tana

Mr. Andrew Gwai

Mr. Gama Muia

Mr. Benjamin Gilingsu

Mrs. Gewa Steven..........Women's Representative

Among the achievements to date at Kamiali are:

* the implementation of a village based fishing project

* the establishment of a bake oven operated by the women residents

* the construction of a training centre and guest house

* training other support to the villagers commercial eco-timber activities

* the establishment of a buffer zone to protect the leatherback turtles of the region

* the implementation of plans to undertake a comprehensive biodiversity survey of the 47,000 hectares

* awareness education and training in the areas of conservation, sustainable development, business practises, and gender issues

As well as assisting villagers to better understand and appreciate their precious and fragile natural resources, VDT has been instrumental in developing the capacity of residents to explore new long term livelihoods that are actually based upon the protection and sustainable management of those resources. This has resulted in modest but unprecedented levels of cash income flowing into the community and improved prospects for increasing the overall quality of life in the community.