Indigenous communities face mounting hardship as rivers dry in Papua New Guinea

Bishop Joseph Durero, SVD, has asked for prayers for rain as a prolonged drought dries up rivers and disrupts essential supplies in Papua New Guinea’s Western Province. According to the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, falling water levels have prevented ships from reaching remote areas, cutting off vital transport routes for food and fuel.

During Mass in Port Moresby, Durero stated that the low water levels prevent deliveries, worsening the situation for communities that depend on waterways. The drought affects various indigenous groups in the province, including the Kiwai, Bamu, Fly River, Marind, Arapesh, and Gogodala peoples. Many of these populations rely on the Fly, Strickland, Aramia, and Bamu rivers for fishing, hunting, subsistence agriculture, and travel by boat or canoe.