Marginality and environment in Papua New Guinea: the Strickland River area

Abstract

Mining in Papua New Guinea has caused considerable controversy, largely due to its environmental impact. This paper examines the debate around the downstream environmental impact of the Porgera gold mine, located in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. It is demonstrated that the greatest international concern and environmental protest is focused on an area that has, by the scientific accounts, the lowest environmental risk. In seeking explanations for this, attention is drawn to the marginality (in absolute and relative terms) of the affected communities, the intermingling of pre and post‐colonial discourses of environment and development, and the role of both international mining companies and environmental non‐governmental organisations in ‘re‐colonising’ rural Papua New Guinea. The communities are seeking to reduce their marginality by actively reworking the material and imagined landscapes (social, environmental, political and economic) they inhabit, drawing on a range of resources, both old and new.