Customary Land Tenure in Papua New Guinea: Status and Prospects

Abstract

"Land resource management in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been experiencing substantial pressure over the last few years in response to economic and social development and change. Customary tenure is the dominant form of tenure yet it has received very little attention as a resource which underpins such development. Over recent years, the economy has sought to manage the impacts of external influences, such as globalisation and a decline in commodity prices, whilst beset by many internal political upheavals. Within the context of such structural readjustment, this paper examines the interrelationship between customary and alienated tenure systems, their background, status and prospects in relation to the development process. More specifically, it pursues the theme of appropriate management techniques for customary land in the light of recent and anticipated social and legislative change, with particular reference to the situation of the Ahi Peoples peri-urban lands in the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG)."