RIDGES TO REEFS ASSESSMENT FOR NEW BRITAIN, PNG: PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

By 2050 the population of New Britain will be more than 1.9 million people, more than three times the current population. In addition, the looming threat of climate change and, in particular, periods of drought and sea level events will pose further challenges. The foundation for a climate resilient future for New Britain will be to ensure the ecological integrity of the land and sea, in order to continue the provision of ecosystem goods and services which can support the growing demands of the society and the economy. A key climate change adaptation strategy for New Britain and a natural insurance policy against future impacts will be to ensure food security and freshwater security from the land and sea for 2050. Ensuring food security from the land will require securing sufficient land to support food production for local communities. Food security from the sea will require sufficient marine conservation areas to replenish local fish stocks, and to maintain water quality of nearshore waters.