This chapter provides a brief description of Papua New Guinea, its past and present climate as well as projections for the future. The climate observation network and the availability of atmospheric and oceanic data records are outlined. The annual mean climate, seasonal cycles and the influences of large-scale climate features such as the West Pacific Monsoon and patterns of climate variability (e.g. the El Niño‑Southern Oscillation) are analysed and discussed.
Forest
Forestry and climate change
Agriculture s the foundation of and heart of the rural PNG economy with over 85% of its 7.5 million people depending on the sector for their livelihoods. This sector is faced with so many challenges including climate change, lack of access to markets and so on. The access to suitable and timely information and knowledge is also seen to be one of the key drawbacks of agriculture advancement in PNG.
The 2020 State of Environment Report is the first for Papua New Guinea.