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DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION & DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

CD 111: DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES & SUSTAINABILITY

MAJOR ESSAY WRITING - Sustainable Practices in Development Project

Project Name:

“NADZAB AIRPORT RE-DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (Oct 2015”

COURSE CODE: BSVY/1 DUE DATE: WEEK 10

FRIDAY, 28th APRIL, 2023.
GROUP #5
(1) RICHARD PAUL
ID#: 23401536
(2) BRIAN BUMBANDI TUTOR: MR. JACK YARO
ID#:
(3) JOSIAH YANDUO
ID#: 23401810

“NADZAB AIRPORT RE-DEVELOPMENT PROJECT”

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The major project that we’ll be based on and do our assay write up is basically on Nadzab Airport
Redevelopment Project which has been started in October, 2015. Nadzab airport is situated in the suburban
area of Lae City, the capital of Morobe Province, which has the second largest population in Papua New
Guinea. The Nadzab Airport handles the second largest air passenger’s traffic and cargoes after Port
Moresby’s Jackson’s Airport. Since its existing facilities requires large-scale improvements from capacity
and safety perspective. The government of Papua New Guinea formally requested to The Government of
Japan for assistance to rehabilitate the airport. This is a redevelopment project to upgrade the existing
Nadzab airport to accommodate up to B767, B777 and B787 as an alternate airport for Jackson’s Airport.
The projects include widening and strengthening of the existing runway, taxiway and apron, construction of
new taxiways and apron. Improvement of aeronautical ground lights, new passenger’s terminal and admin
building, firefighting and rescue facilities, refurbishment of the existing terminal for Cargo and construction
of utilities for a fully functioning international airport.

The project is part of the National Airports Cooperation – Business Strategy to partner with stakeholders
including provincial governments to achieve 15 Smart Airport by 2030 in order to drive the national
government aspiration for increased accessibility, economic growth and development. In 2012 PLANPAC
developed a Strategic Land Use Masterplan for Nadzab Central Strategic Plan, a business hub to Nadzab
Airport, with 700 hectares of Greenfield land on a 1,100-hectare site.

The purpose of re-developing Nadzab Airport is to facilitate and meet the future demands of air
transportation of international flights coming in and going out from the country and, our domestic flights
within the country. The main areas of re-development are; construction of terminal building, which can
accommodate the passengers from international and domestic flights. “The terminal will be an open-door
terminal; people will not be restricted from entering. This is so they can enjoy the spacious and modern
facilities with coffee shops and food, and electronic kiosks and ATM machines there,” Nou Stated (Loop
PNG, March 21, 2023). Other areas are upgrading of the runway which will enable large planes from
overseas to land here at Nadzab Airport, and upgrading part of taxi ways to move in and out from the airport.
This project also aims to meet the future demand of air transportation at Nadzab airport and to establish as
an alternate international airport for Port Moresby (Jackson’s) international airport by accommodating large
wide body jet aircrafts, constructing an international and domestic new passenger terminal building and
upgrading associated facilities. This will improve facilitation of air transportation and contribute to
economic growth of PNG.

However, there few more reasons why we chose this project topic to write about it. Basically, it is an
ongoing and well-known project in the country. Thus, we need to write something on the things that we have
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fair ideas. Furthermore, this project targets the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No. 8 – Industrial,
Innovation and Infrastructure as well as Goal No. 9 Decent Work and Economic Growth. This project
promotes development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation,
entrepreneurship, creative and innovation and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-small and
medium sized enterprises, included through access to financial services.

Before carrying out any development projects into local places or sites, there’s always sustainable
development goals within a company for the co-workers to follow since the commencement of a particular
project to the end of the project. For the Nadzab Airport Redevelopment Project, environmental standards
are required with current loss time injury. Therefore, noted that apart from other environmental problems,
the organization’s sustainable development goals were focused on these main four environmental aspects.
Sustainable Land Use and Biodiversity, Sustainable Waste Management, Deforestation and Loss of
Vegetation and Food Insecurity

1.Land Use and Biodiversity

In order to redevelop/reconstruct an existing infrastructure in a particular area, it always comes with its own
issues regarding the land and its surrounding environment. The land belongs to the national government and
was allocated for future development. However, before any development commenced the locals were using
the land for farming and grazing cattle, for this reason being, since the construction of the airport it caused a
lot of issues concerning the local farmers there, thus resulting in displacement of farm animals and so
disruption in the ecosystem as a whole. Therefore, conversion of the ecosystem and degradation contributes
to the fragmentation of the habitat. By doing so habitat fragmentation on the biodiversity isn’t fully realized
until it is fully degraded.

2.Waste Management (Disposal)

During the extension/redevelop maintenance of the Lae Nadzab airport, most of the construction wastes
have been produced in large quantities, however the contractors failed to dispose it in a proper way with
respect to the surrounding environment thus directing the waste disposal pipeline into the nearby streams
and water ways. As a result, causing water pollution, air pollution and land contamination which are some of
the main issues that have direct effects on the ecosystem in the long run.

3.Deforestation and Loss of Vegetation

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At the phase of clearing the land for redevelopment, the vegetation has been lost drastically, this contributes
towards deforestation which is one of the major issues concerning the environment. During construction all
the trees and plants have been cleared leaving the land with hardly any vegetation. As it is known,
vegetation is the own natural process (photosynthesis), resulting in a balance of gases in the ecosystem.
Thus, by destroying the plants and trees it is nothing more than a direct destruction to the source of oxygen
and the natural system that counter-reacts the accumulating amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, this causes
the depletion of fresh air and an unbalanced increase in carbon-dioxide gas within the environment.

4.Food Insecurity (Crop Damaged)

Foods are mainly crops from the farms that are found near to the construction site have been impacted either
directly or indirectly by the project’s chemical releases. In the construction process of the project, huge
amount of poisonous chemicals has been released into the surroundings via gaseous and liquefied forms,
these hazardous chemicals in their various states (either liquefied or gaseous) are then evaporated and
condensed up in the clouds for a certain period of time awaiting precipitation. During the stage of
precipitation, the condensed chemicals fall as acid rain on the farms (crops) and into the water tanks of the
homes. The crops are then harvested for food and the tank waters are being used for drinking and cooking in
the homes. This will have a tremendous impact in the food chain through bio magnification, henceforth it
can affect human’s food consumption.

At the point, some of the background of type of sustainability activities or practices the organization should
use to address these four identified environmental factor for the Nadzab and the surrounding communities.
Before organizations or companies carry out a particular construction plan or a development plan, there
should be some sort of sustainable practices set in place before the construction or development takes place.
The construction company is facing a growing challenge which is balance between their construction and
operation with the safeguard of natural ecosystems and biodiversity conservation under pressure by their
activities. One of the environmental factors that should be considered, is the Biodiversity and Land Use. The
presence of wildlife at the project site which is Nadzab Airport and the surrounding operational areas is a
safety hazard and a well-known-risk for the company to consider and find sustainable practices to minimize
or control it.

To maintain biodiversity and land use, the organization carrying out the construction must consider these
factors before commencing their activities on a particular site or a piece of land, as a sustainable practice.

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  The landscape and the features of that environment. (Rainforest or grassland).
 The people living in that particular area. (Settlers or landowners).
 The farming activities they do on that piece of land and the livestock they graze.
 Are there any other suggestion for them to earn income and find food if their crops and are
destroyed?
 How will that piece of land look after the completion of the project (Natural and physical
features).

By looking at these factors the organization will come up with sustainable practices like, controlling their
waste from spilling into creeks and water sources that people use. Another sustainable practice is to Plant
some tree of the same type in a forest before you cut down that forest and after the completion of their
project, all their construction waste must be removed and disposed in a waste facility.

The construction industry is a waste-intensive industry with the potential environmental impact at every step
in the process – of extracting raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, construction, and disposal of
general and hazardous waste. To manage waste disposal the organization or company must have adequate
planning and order products in amounts where they will use and there will be no left overs around as waste
after the project is completed. They should also store their working equipment’s in a proper place to avoid
weather conditions to cause damage on them, when something is damage, it is of no use and left there as
waste. Construction sites also have the potential to generate hazardous waste due to the use of certain
chemicals, paint and fuel that need to be responsibly disposed of at a hazardous waste facility. Hazardous
substances should also be stored in an impermeable area when not in use or disposed of. Plans for waste
disposal must give way to waste management.

Other sustainable practices to minimize waste disposal are as follows;

Implementation – having a comprehensive waste management plan in place before

construction commences will be beneficial in the long run.
Research Vendors – quality vendors will provide waste containers and/or have the flexibility
to remove recyclables and waste from the site as it is generated, to prevent waste build-up.
Recycling – placing recycling bins around the site will reduce the amount of waste collected
in waste skips/ cages
Reduce Packaging – purchasing materials in bulk will reduce expense and waste from
individually packaged materials.
Reuse Scraps – When possible, reuse scraps instead of cutting new materials.

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 Organizations – A well-ordered construction site will produce less waste. Clearly outlining
the site will make it easier for workers to know where to dispose of different types of waste,
increasing productivity and efficiency.

Forest are one of the most important ecosystems on Earth. About 80 percent of the terrestrial plants, insects,
and animals call forest home and also nearly one third of the people in the world depend directly on forests
for their livelihoods. In other parts of the world people live in swamp areas where they also depend on
swamp in their own ways to survive. Therefore, when a development or construction project is about to
commence in a particular area there should be some sort of sustainable practice carried out like;

Plant a Tree – most straightforward personal strategy to fight against deforestation is to plant
a tree when you cut down a tree.
Practice eco-Forestry – is a restorative method of forest management, which is not based on
economic productivity. In this practice selective trees are being cut down causing minimal
damage to the rest of the forest. If you own a piece of forest, follow this principle for they
will pay you back in the long run more than the profit focused on short- term forestry.
Support Organizations that Fight Deforestation – numerous international and locally-focused
organizations strive to protect forest from deforestation and apply sustainable forestry
practice.

Food Insecurity is when there is no enough food to in a family or a group of people to feed themselves. This
may be due to some reasons like, only one person in the family is employed, only one person in the family is
working hard while others are lazy or their source of food and income are being damaged.

Regarding this matter any organization or company should have sustainable practices in place before
carrying out their projects. People whose crops and livestock are on the development site, must be well
informed in advanced so that they will transplant their crops onto another piece of land and also move their
livestock to another place. If their food source and livestock are damaged the organization or government
should give them some to benefit in order to avoid food insecurity.

From the Nadzab Airport Redevelopment Project, we identifying two Sustainable Development Goals and
they are;

 SDG No. 8 – Industrial, Innovation and Infrastructure

 SDG No. 9 - Decent Work and Economic Growth.

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However, stated are two targets that were considered to be significance to alleviate the environmental
problems that arises within the projects. From this perspective the two major targets are;

Economic Growth and Job Opportunities

According to IMF, employed population breakdown according to the industry is 72.3%, 3.6% and 22.70%,
respectively. The GDP share an industry-wise employees’ is breakdown suggest manufacturing is biased
towards capital incentive sectors and does not provide enough job opportunities. Since the project took over
that place, many young youths and men from the surrounding, areas and blocks involved in getting part-
time jobs like securities, cleaners, carpenters, road builders a well as operators and drivers for that contract
company. It helps them in sustaining the livelihood of their family in terms of finance and also provide for
them.

Particularly, the project also builds the economic growth of people living in those areas. For example, they
might build their canteen stores, having table markets, and mothers provide fresh food from the garden to
sell because there’s lot of workers there due to the opportunity of jobs. It also provokes that this place will
turn into industrial sectors. Economic growth is driven sometimes by consumer spending and business
investment. Increases in labor inputs, such as the project of redevelopment of Nadzab airport increases the
economic growth in that particular areas.

Environment and social consideration

Environmental and social consideration means considering environmental impacts on air water, soil,
ecosystem, flora and fauna as well as social impact including involuntary resettlement and respect for the
human rights of indigenous people and so on.

Eventually, there are some environmental and social consideration which need to be considered by the JICA
Cooperation Scheme (Yen Loan Project) that took up this project and it includes;

 Land acquisition and resettlement

 Water supply
 Power supply
 Road and infrastructures
 Schools and health centers

It is a company’s responsibility to look into those areas and help out the settlers and landowners to provide
them with their basic needs such as water supplies, power supplies, road and infrastructures, and schools and

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health centers to cater for them. It is also their responsibility to resettle and provide the settlers in a project site
areas to have better place to live.

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REFERENCES;

 Environmental Justice Atlas (Internet source)

 Jordan, R. (2017). The Project for the Study on Lae-Nadzab Development Plan in Papua New
Guinea. Japan International Cooperation Agencies. Lae Urban Local Level Government.

 Lae City Authority, (2023). Nadzab Airport Redevelopment Project

https://lca.gov.pg/major-projects/nadzabairport-redevelopment-project/

 Gware, C. (March 21, 2023). Nadzab redevelopment nears completion: Loop PNG
https://www.looppng.com/business/nadzab-redevelopment-nears-completion-118607

 Japan International Cooperation Agency, (2023). Activities in Papua New Guinea: Nadzab
Airport Redevelopment Project
https://www.jica.go.jp/png/english/activities/activity20.html

 Japan International Cooperation Agency, (2023). Information Disclosure under JICA

Guidelines for Environment and Social Considerations (April, 10) and the Guidelines revised
thereafter
https://www.jica.go.jp/english/our_work/social_environmental/id/oceania/png/

 NATURE TRUST BRITISH COLUMBIA, (2023). Threats to Biodiversity

https://www.naturetrust.bc.ca/conserving-land/threats-to-biodiversity

 Canadian Center of Science and Education, (December 18, 2021). Sustainable Agriculture
Research; Vol. 11. No. 1; 2022
https://doi.org/10.5539/sar.v11n1p11

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