Coping with Drought in Rural Papua New Guinea: A Western Highlands Case Study

ABSTRACT

The short- and long-term effects of climate change on Papua New Guinea’s agricultural sector have generated significant debate in recent times. Current literature demonstrates that different population groups have differing levels of vulnerability and resilience to the flow-on effects of climate change, particularly drought. Yet different schools of thought on the country’s food security and effects on livelihoods persist. This article draws on evidence from research conducted in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea as part of a bigger economic empowerment project to illustrate the vulnerabilities of one community of rural semisubsistence farmers to drought-induced food insecurity. It examines responses to drought, identifies modes of resilience, and discusses the implications for future actions.

KEYWORDS:

• Agricultural livelihoods
• drought
• food security
• Papua New Guinea
• rural farmers

Funding

The authors acknowledge funding from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project (ASEM/2014/095).

Notes

¹ This research process was approved by the human research ethics committees of the University of Canberra and the Pacific Adventist University, PNG.

² Typical Highlands daily meals are a small breakfast, a midday snack (often while working in the garden), and the main meal in the evening.

³ The local term for a farm plot.

⁴ Wantok is a term used across Melanesia to express patterns of relationships and networks that link people in families and regional localities. It has been described as a socioeconomic and political network, a set of relationships (or obligations) between individuals characterized by common language, kinship group, geographical area of origin, social associations, or religious groups, and a belief in the principle of mutual reciprocity (Nanau 2011).

⁵ The asset-based community-development (ABCD) approach is understood as a set of methods for community mobilization and as a strategy for community-based development. As an approach, it recognizes the likelihood of focusing on strengths and assets to bring about changes and positive actions in a community rather than focusing exclusively on needs and problems.

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge funding from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project (ASEM/2014/095).