Lupa Vangunu: A community standing strong for the forests and their future
- Customary landowners from Zaira on Lupa Vangunu are speaking out in an effort to protect the last old-growth rainforest on the island from commercial logging.
- A new video has been produced that captures perspectives from community landowners about the impacts of logging.
- This video was produced by Aelanlife for Live & Learn Solomon Islands. It was recently screened at the 2023 Native Lens Film Festival. You can watch and share here: https://vimeo.com/906190116?share=copy
For more than a decade, logging companies have been trying to win the timber rights and approvals to log the pristine forest on Lupa Vangunu, close to the Zaira community.
But members from the Dokoso, Sugili and Tavoamai Tribes want to develop a conservation and carbon project that protects the forest and generates income to benefit everyone.
Despite pressure from logging companies, the Zaira community still believe in this vision and want leaders and decision makers to listen to their voices and their hope.
Lupa Vangunu is made up of four communities: Zaira, Bopo, Tige and Niniveh.
Three tribes from these communities — Dokoso, Sugili, Tavoamai — are the customary landowners of the remaining old-growth rainforests which are at the heart of this issue.
Rev. Green Jino from the Zaira community and Dokoso Tribe established a community-run conservation area over 10 years ago to protect the forest and allow the community to continue to use the forest in the traditional ways: for food, medicine and cultural connection.
Since then, the Zaira community has been campaigning hard to keep the forest intact and develop sustainable income opportunities like forest carbon or tourism.
Meanwhile, ongoing applications from logging companies have placed the very same rainforests under threat — the most recent was approved in the high court in August 2023.
Customary landowners from Zaira on Lupa Vangunu are speaking out to protect the last old-growth rainforest on the island from commercial logging. – Source: Nakau/Live & Learn
Their hope is that decision-makers will listen to their voices — and their hope.
– Live & Learn Solomon Islands
One thought on “Lupa Vangunu: A community standing strong for the forests and their future ”
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