Six Papua New Guinean researchers, supported by the Australian government, presented their findings at the third National Climate Change Summit held in Port Moresby this week.
The summit was opened by Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, Simon Kilepa and was hosted by the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) and attracted more than 200 participants. It was supported by the Australian government through the Australian High Commission, which was represented by Minister Counsellor Dr Cate Rogers.
The local research on climate resilience showcased at the summit is supported by the Climate Change Research Grants scheme, which aims to advance scientific and policy work, and enhance research capacity among professionals and students from key government and academic institutions.
One of the researchers, Dr Patrick Michael, leads a team at University of Technology in Lae researching how to improve winged bean production and its contribution to food and nutritional security in PNG. The Climate Change Research Grant has enabled his team to examine the crop’s potential as a staple food source that can withstand changing climate conditions
Dr Michael explained what inspired his research: “My motivation is basically climate change and our fear of not understanding how our crops, like sweet potato, taro, banana, cassava, and those few crops that are the livelihood of our local people, will perform under climate change. This research gives us the opportunity to get another crop, which we call underutilized crops.”
Australia’s partnership with CCDA on the Climate Change Research Grants reflects Australia’s broader commitment to supporting PNG’s leadership in building climate resilience. Australia’s Climate Finance Initiative for Resilience and Sustainable Transition (Climate FIRST) project aims to mobilize K1.7 billion in climate finance to support PNG’s transition to a low-carbon economy and enhance community resilience.