Title: "Indigenous Initiated Forest Conservation / Malakula Island Development Study"

Project number: B7-5041/95.04/VIII/FOR (NGO Contract)

Amount: 90.000 ECU

Contractor: Beneficial Environmental Sustainable Tourism (BEST)

Field: Environmental Tourism

Country: Vanuatu

Date of signature: 28.12.95; date of receipt by EC: 21.02.96; date of limit of execution: 30/06/98.

Duration: 22 months (mistake on the contract: 22 weeks!)

The project purpose is to identify legally binding protection options of the relevant forest resources and cultural heritage of Malakula by identifying appropriate land for reserves and National parks, development opportunities in general and the most biodiverse, rich and scenic forest in specific, from any form of un-sustainable exploitation.

Objectives:

To identify possible sustainable activities and improvements of living conditions as an alternative for the island inhabitants to un-sustainable large scale logging operations of Tropical Forest, through a physical planning/land use study on Malakula Island, ahead of further capital investment.

Activities:

• extensive surveys and studies by a team representing environment, physical planning, forestry, agriculture, culture and tourism;
• discussion and organisation of local communities into special comities for grass-roots debate and decision making;
• orientate and discuss the efforts of application(s) for Reserve/National Parks status or other utilisation of resources;
• prepare business outline for alternative income producing activities;
• present and discuss a draft report 3 weeks before the end of the study mission;
• write a final version of the discussed study report.

Results expected:

• the identification and design of the relevant Reserves and/or National parks;
• the identification and proposal of new income opportunities;
• the description of proceedings for elimination of unwanted nature exploitation.

Beneficiaries:

Island inhabitants, Government

Implementation strategy:

Semi-temporary offices will be used at the Cultural Centre. The study start with a workshop for and with the 13 Cultural Centre Field workers of Malakula. Inventory of all prior study and reports that has been done in Malakula, as well as interviews with professional people that have relevant knowledge of the island. Physical surveys will be done.

To ensure co-ordination with other intervention projects, to access information and to keep the relevant Government bodies informed, BEST has contacted the Department of Forests, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and the Environment Unit. The Provincial Government will be invited to participate in the various research and intervention phases as they see fit.

Draft Final report has been sent to the Commission on 25 July 1997 for advise. The EC Delegation wrote, in the letter of transmission dated 4/07/97, that the document satisfies the terms of reference and needs only minor corrections for the final version.

• Part A gives an appraisal of "the given realities" (analysis, policies, planning and legislation) and makes diagnostic (potential, limitations and constraints).Conclusion underline that there is a lot of potential for development in Malakula, the main problem being that one has to start with everything from a very basic and very early stage of development, hence a lot of basic assistance and awareness creation is required.
• Part B "Island Development Plan" describes results, activities undertaken; assumption for the Island Development; project natural, political, social, financial and economic risks and flexibility needed to deal with the situation and finances made available. Development conclusions identify the most and the least favourable areas of intervention. Conclusions underline that it is up to the Government of Vanuatu and the Provincial Government to make decisions and to demonstrate that economic development is what they want. Once the decision for economical development is made, foreign investment should be facilitated in a transparent way. However foreign investments does not minds that the country is selling itself out and that foreigner will again dominate the country. The Republic of Vanuatu sets the rules, which should be rules equal for everybody, least corruption is allowed to flourish. The choose between different pathways, the controllable and renewable way should be chosen (ex: between investments in logging and plantation timber, chose the renewable plantation; between fishing and farming, chose farming...);
• Part C "Project Proposals" have been defined for each sector e.g.:
  • in agriculture have been chosen a project that would quickly maximise the "value adding" potential for coconut cream project, that has gone through a considerable amount of research; since vanilla has shown good potential in export from Santo, a vanilla project is proposed.
  • in livestock, the bee is proposed to be introduced for small holders and people in villages. Both the agricultural and the livestock projects could very much benefit from a proposed organic farming and certification projects, that would also get involved in marketing.
  • for conservation there is a World Heritage listing project proposals;
  • in education the need for a teachers' training centre has been identified.
  • there are also two proposals for energy projects (Energy unit extension for teaching and training in MALAMPA and for the replacement of the throw-away dry cell batteries with rechargeable batteries.
  • in fisheries the project proposal wants to examine, in three distinct projects a proposed pearl industry, ocean fisheries and spiny lobster.
  • the forestry sector is important and includes a conservation management project with support for a Department of Forestry/SPREP. There is a project for forest Nuts, where the collection, drying and trading require ground work. Large scale sawmilling is not recommended and it is suggested a small scale sawmilling for management, marketing eco-timber labelling and replanting.
  • there is a health project for local malaria eradication and another for the commercial use of medicine plants.
  • for the budding tourism industry 4 proposals: two trails, a marketing project and another management/training project.