Communities and Conservation Take Center Stage at International Biodiversity Gathering

Posted on March, 10 2026

When Theresa Paisi from Delena village in Papua New Guinea speaks about restoring mangroves, she is not only talking about protecting nature – but she is also talking about protecting her community’s future.

By Jack Sagumai

POM, PNG - When Theresa Paisi from Delena village in Papua New Guinea speaks about restoring mangroves, she is not only talking about protecting nature - but she is also talking about protecting her community’s future.

“When we restore mangroves, we are not just protecting the coastline,” she says. “We are protecting our food, our livelihoods, and the future of our children.”

Theresa was among the community representatives who travelled with WWF-Pacific Papua New Guinea (WWF-PNG) to West Papua, Indonesia, to attend the 12th International Flora Malesiana Symposium and International Nature-based Climate Solutions Conference in Manokwari from 9–14 February 2026.

The global gathering brought together scientists, policymakers, Indigenous leaders, universities, and conservation practitioners from across the region to share knowledge on plant diversity and nature-based climate solutions. But for the WWF-PNG delegation - which included representatives from communities in Kairuku and Rigo Districts in Central Province - the week became much more than a scientific conference. It was an opportunity to see how communities across the region are leading conservation efforts whilst creating sustainable livelihoods.

Learning from Nature and Communities

The Malesiana region, which includes Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, is one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots, home to extraordinary plant diversity that remains largely understudied. Throughout the symposium, researchers presented new discoveries and research highlighting the global importance of New Guinea’s forests and plants.

Yet alongside the science, a strong message echoed throughout the discussions: conservation must meaningfully involve Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) and ensure research translates into tangible benefits for customary landowners.

For the WWF-PNG team, this message resonated strongly with the community-led conservation approach already being implemented across Papua New Guinea.

Strengthening Transboundary Conservation

WWF-PNG also contributed to a key side event on the New Guinea Initiative, hosted by the WWF Indonesia Papua Programme Office. The discussion explored opportunities to revitalise regional ecological collaboration across New Guinea and Northern Australia.

The proposed initiative - the Papua–Australia Connectivity of Ecology Alliance (PACE) - aims to strengthen cross-border collaboration between governments, scientists, civil society organisations, and Indigenous communities to support sustainable development and biodiversity protection across the region.

Such partnerships recognise that ecosystems and wildlife do not follow national boundaries and protecting them requires coordinated action across countries.

Seeing Conservation in Action

The WWF-PNG delegation also experienced first-hand how communities in Papua are protecting biodiversity while generating income.

Field visits to Mt. Arfak National Park, famous for its birds-of-paradise and unique wildlife, showcased community-run birdwatching tourism, and forest protection initiatives. Local guides, working with scientists and conservation organisations, have turned their deep knowledge of the forest into sustainable tourism opportunities that benefit entire villages.

The team also visited community enterprises producing coffee, cocoa, and virgin coconut oil, including a women-led initiative in Tarawasih Marenggi village. These enterprises demonstrate how communities can build livelihoods from natural resources while maintaining healthy ecosystems.

For WWF-PNG, these examples offered valuable lessons for strengthening similar community-based initiatives back home.

Knowledge Exchange Across the Island of New Guinea

After the symposium, the WWF-PNG team also travelled to Jayapura for a learning exchange with the WWF-Indonesia Papua team.

The exchange highlighted a range of conservation approaches, including ecosystem restoration, biodiversity monitoring using camera traps and bioacoustics, and the use of technology such as the Reconnect+ mobile application to track tree planting and restoration progress.

Participants also learned about community education initiatives such as the Holey Narey Learning Center, which promotes environmental awareness, sustainable agriculture, and youth engagement.

These initiatives demonstrated how conservation can be strengthened through science, technology, and community leadership working together.

Voices from the Community

For Walo John from Alewai village in Rigo District, the experience reinforced a simple but powerful truth:

“Our communities want to conserve nature, but we also need sustainable income. If conservation connects directly to our wellbeing, then people will embrace it and make it stronger.”

His words capture the essence of WWF-PNG’s work - supporting communities to protect nature while improving livelihoods.

Bringing Lessons Home

WWF-PNG shared its own experiences during the exchange, presenting conservation work underway in Kikori, Madang, the Central Seascape, and Pomio. These programmes focus on community-led conservation, sustainable fisheries, mangrove restoration, and protecting key species and ecosystems.

The discussions highlighted strong alignment between initiatives across Papua New Guinea and Indonesia and opened new opportunities for collaboration in restoration, biodiversity monitoring, community enterprises, and ecotourism.

Inspired for the Future

The symposium and field visits reinforced a message that conservation works best when communities are at the center.

From mangrove restoration in Papua New Guinea to community-run birdwatching in Papua, local people are showing that protecting nature and improving livelihoods can go hand in hand.

WWF-PNG’s participation was supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom through the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) Programme, with additional support from WWF-Indonesia’s Papua Programme Office and WWF-Pacific.

For the PNG team and the community representatives who joined them, the experience was both inspiring and practical - offering innovative ideas and renewed motivation to strengthen community-led conservation efforts back home.

-Ends-

This story has been edited with AI assistance and reviewed by members of the Communications team.

WWF Pacific, PNG Programme staff, Jack Sagumai, Theresa Paisi, from Delena community in Kairuku, Central Province, Leo Jahnsen Yembise, WWF Papua Programme and Walo Kila from the Alewai village in Rigo, Central Province.

(L-R) Theresa Paisi, Dr. Janet Gagul, Walo John and Jack Sagumai during a field trip organised by the Flora Malesiana Symposium to Mt. Arfak National Park. This National Park is known for its rich biodiversity, including the Bird-of-Paradise, tree kangaroos, and various endemic butterfly species and plants. The Arfak Mountains are also a popular destination for scientific research and eco-tourism.

WWF PNG team with WWF Papua team near the WWF Holey Nari Education Center in Jayapura.

(L-R) Mr Alex Waisimon, the owner of ISYO Lodge, with the PNG team in Dr Janet Gagul, Walo John and Theresa Paisi bird watching in Nimbokrang. The lodge emphasises on sustainable ecotourism practices, integrating traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation efforts to benefit the local community and the environment.