Beyond Barriers: Papua New Guinea Case Study

This case study is part of the ongoing Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG) and World Vision 'Beyond Barriers' research into the integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) programming in the Pacific.

Papua New Guinea faces significant risk of increasingly severe and frequent disasters, many associated with the changing climate. It ranks 9th on the World Risk Index 2021 due to its high exposure, vulnerability and low coping capacity. Papua New Guinea currently maintains separate governance and institutional arrangements for DRR and climate change, with most stakeholders agreeing that DRR and CCA activities continue to operate largely in silos. This is reflected in financing and coordination mechanisms, creating multi-layered challenges for integrated approaches at the community level.

Despite these macro challenges, high-quality integrated approaches at local and provincial levels can be replicated and scaled. This case study explores Papua New Guinea’s progress in integration of DRR and CCA, identifying key themes and opportunities for stakeholders to advance approaches that reduce risk and enhance resilience in communities in PNG.