Unearthing stories that matters |
by Charley Piringi Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed his nation’s steadfast commitment to the Pacific Islands, declaring that “the Pacific’s future is our future” as world leaders gathered in the region to confront the escalating climate emergency. Reflecting on the severe threats facing the region, Albanese said, climate…
by Charley Piringi Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has delivered a fierce, unapologetic message to global diplomats, declaring that the Pacific is done asking for the world’s “sympathy.” Addressing the pre-COP31 summit gathering in Suva tonight, Rabuka dismantled the conventional framing of regional helplessness, warning global diplomats that the sinking…
by Charley Piringi Ahead of next month’s major UN climate summit (COP31) in Turkiye, the Pacific region is sending a resolute message to global leaders: “Retreating is not an option.” Speaking during a pre-COP31 virtual meeting today, Tagaloa Cooper, Director for Climate Change Resilience at the Secretariat of the Pacific…
CAIRNS, Australia — Regional lawmakers, regulators, and advocates have taken a decisive stance against the illegal logging networks harming Melanesia, transitioning from dialogue to direct enforcement. During the third Asia Pacific Forests Crime Network (APFCN) gathering at James Cook University in Cairns from last week, thirty-five specialists gathered to confront the…
by Charley Piringi in Cairns, Australia A senior Papua New Guinea leader warned PNG and the Solomon Islands that failing to reform colonial resource laws risks losing people’s resources to foreign “criminal cartels.“ Speaking exclusively to In-depth Solomons at the third Asia Pacific Forest Crime Network meeting in Cairns, outspoken Oro…
How a dedicated cohort of local rangers, equipped with high-precision GIS mapping and satellite navigation, bridged custom and national law to permanently shield 2,897 hectares of primary cloud forest from commercial logging and industrial mining. by Cornelius Qaqara Isabel Province In a landmark victory for indigenous land stewardship and tropical…
by Charley Piringi “When a Prime Minister is simultaneously the regulator, the tax collector, and a timber merchant, state policy inevitably aligns with cartel profit margins.” Sir Francis Billy Hilly. Across the Pacific Islands, customary land ownership has long been seen as the ultimate constitutional shield for indigenous sovereignty. But…
The High Court has ordered two logging companies to pay $62 million in damages to three communities in Isabel Province. This was over unlawful logging activities the loggers caused to the communities of Kolomola, Alualu and Tuseli in the Hograno Highlands District. Justice Augustine Aulanga delivered the ruling on 4…
Communities in North Malaita are planting more than 2,000 mangrove seedlings to protect the coastline around the new Malu’u Market, combining nature-based solutions with major infrastructure investment. The initiative is led by the North Shore Mangroves Committee, which is coordinating the transplanting of seedlings to coastal rehabilitation sites around the…
By Georgina Maka’a As the world marks two decades of honoring those who protect our natural heritage, Solomon Islands rangers have been described as “the essential health workers of our planet,” standing firm against rising seas, biodiversity loss and the relentless pressures of a changing climate. Eddie Huitarau, Programme Manager…
