Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea country profile

BACKGROUND

Papua New Guinea is an island country in the South Pacific Region and occupies the eastern half of the West Pacific island of New Guinea. The climate of the island is hot, humid, and tropical with steady temperatures throughout the year. Papua New Guinea has two seasons, a dry season from June to September and a wet season from December to March. It is home to one of the wettest climates in the world with annual rainfall in some areas exceeding 2,500 mm, with the heaviest rains falling in the highland regions. Yearly climate variability is greatly influenced by  El Niño conditions in the southeast Pacific which tend to bring drought conditions to the drier parts of the country.

The terrain of the country is diverse, with some rugged and mountainous geography. It is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the point of collision of several tectonic plates, which makes it susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic activity. It is a majority rural country, with 87 per cent of the population residing in rural areas and 97 per cent of the land owned by local Indigenous people. Most people make their livelihoods as subsistence agricultural farmers, which limits their capacity to prepare and protect themselves for climate-hazard impacts.

The most common climate hazards affecting Papua New Guinea are storm surges, sea-level rise, coastal inundation, drought, floods, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and tsunamis. It also experiences wildfires, epidemics, and landslides. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is triggering more intense drought and flood events.

INFORM RISK INDEX (2022)    

Hazard and exposure: 5.0  |  Vulnerability: 5.5  |  Lack of coping capacity: 7.4 |  Total: 5.9 (high)  |  Rank: 22

HAZARDS COVERED BY ANTICIPATION    

Drought

EXPERIENCE ON ANTICIPATION 

• FAO is in the early stages of developing anticipatory action measures against drought in Papua New Guinea.