Climate Risk and Adaptation Country Profile-Papua New Guinea

At 463,000 square kilometers, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the largest Pacific island state. Located in the South West Pacific, it is bound by the Gulf of Guinea and the Coral Sea to the south, Indonesia to the west, the Solomon Sea to the east, and the Bismarck Sea to the northeast. PNG comprises the eastern half of New Guinea island, four additional islands (Manus, New Ireland, New Britain, and Bougainville), and 600 smaller islets and atolls to the north and east. PNG is home to a diverse range of ecosystems, including mountain glaciers, humid tropical rainforests, swampy wetlands, and immaculate coral reefs. Approximately 30% of the country’s landmass is covered by forests and four of the world’s remaining significant forests are found in PNG. In addition to harboring abundant natural resources such as gold, copper, oil and natural gas, PNG boasts 7% of the world’s biodiversity.