22 April 2013

Papua New Guinea receives climate change data

In Port Moresby, the Governor-General of Australia, Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO, today handed over climate change data on behalf of the Australian Government to the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, the Hon Peter O’Neill MP.

The high-resolution elevation data on the north coast of Papua New Guinea was collected by Geoscience Australia and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, at the request of the Government of Papua New Guinea.

The data will be used to plan climate change adaptation in Papua New Guinea. It can also be used to plan construction sites, monitor land subsidence, determine pipeline routes and detect changes in vegetation growth. Future work will build Papua New Guinea’s capacity to use the data.

Climate change is a global challenge. Better information and data will help build a more robust body of evidence to support planning, to manage sustainably the impact of climate change, including in Papua New Guinea.

The Australian Government is also funding a range of community-based activities in Papua New Guinea to build resilience and adaptation to climate change.

The Governor-General is undertaking a State Visit to Papua New Guinea at the invitation of the Governor-General, His Excellency Sir Michael Ogio.