New Guinea is a place of extraordinary biological and cultural diversity. It contains the world's third largest intact block of tropical forest, some of the most extensive and least disturbed rivers in the Asia-Pacific, a wide array of unique species and more than one-fifth of the world's languages and cultures. But the forests in the region are becoming fragmented at a mind-boggling rate due to indiscriminate logging by timber enterprises, road development and mining. The conversion of forest for large oil palm and acacia plantations, destructive hunting activities and the expansion of introduced non-native species further threaten the region’s wildlife and the natural resources available to some of the poorest and least developed communities on the island. The threat is immediate. Over 80% of Papua New Guinea’s commercial forests are due to be cleared or degraded by 2021. WWF’s vision is to achieve a socially, economically and environmentally resilient New Guinea that guarantees a future for the extraordinary natural environment, livelihoods and cultural identity of the island and its people. WWF is developing sustainable livelihoods for the local people and defining sustainable finance schemes for large scale conservation and sustainable development projects to help protect the remaining previous forests. WWF has committed to raise £223,000 for this important programme. Your support will help create a priceless legacy for the people of New Guinea and the island’s unique wildlife. HOW YOU CAN HELP £3000 can pay to conduct a scientific survey on water quality in the Sepik River, the lifeblood for the local people and wildlife in the region. £4800 will provide the matched funding for the EC funded sub-project of Community Development and Resource Conservation in the Trans-Fly Region. The project will assist communities in developing sustainable livelihoods of the region's people, e.g. sustainable business enterprises through participatory identification of natural resource potential. It will empower communities to manage business finance and sustainability issues and assist the formation of strong local community organisations to develop local development plans. £6000 can buy a stand-by generator set for the field office, which supplies the office with electricity and enables our team to conduct their work on the spot. £9,000 will cover the cost for the ecotourism officer for one year, who will work on the identification and implementation of ecotourism projects in the Sepik region as an sustainable income source for the local communities. £10,000 pays for a Sustainable Resource Use Officer. His duties include the training of local communities on harvesting timber and non-timber forestry products in a sustainable manner and help communities to take these products to market. £15,000 covers the field running costs of PNG forest programme to enable field teams to operate in the field with sufficient equipment, food and communications etc.