4 June 2026  

 On 6 June 2006, the Government of Papua New Guinea under Michael Somare, nominated the Upper Sepik River Basin for World Heritage Status. Saturday 6th June marks 20 years since this nomination, which has been left to gather dust.

“It has now been 20 years. No further steps have been taken to protect the Upper Sepik River Basin, which is Papua New Guinea’s Amazon of the Pacific,” said Manu Peni, Director, Project Sepik. 

“The river and forest are no longer just for us, and while we serve as custodians of these rivers, forests, swamps, and marshes, we must internalize that the place we call home is a World Heritage site. Ultimately, we must recognize that this environment belongs to the global community just as much as it belongs to us,” said Manu Peni.  

By contrast, in 2025, the Government of Papua New Guinea approved six Environmental Permits for the colossal Frieda River copper and gold mine – the single largest threat to the existence of the Sepik River in living memory. The Environmental Permits have not been made publicly available.  

The proposed mine, which would run for at least 33 years, would involve three open pits. The waste from the project – an unimaginable amount 1,450 million tonnes of waste rock – would be more than the weight of 143,500 Eiffel Towers. This would be stored underwater in a giant tailings dam able to hold the volume of approximately 17 Sydney Harbours, with a dam wall 190 metres high – almost twice as high as the Noble Centre in Port Moresby.  

“The Frieda River mine has been expressed by experts to be larger than the size of other major mines put together: Panguna, Ok Tedi, Porgera, Lihir, Hidden Valley and Golpu together,” said Emily Price, Pacific Mining Program Director at Jubilee Australia Research Centre. 

“Each nation has its gifts, its treasures that remind the world of a way of being, that reveal the riches of biodiversity. The Amazon. The Galapagos Islands. The Great Barrier Reef. These are famed across the world for their uniqueness. The Sepik River is deserving to take its place among these great environmental treasures of the world,” said Emily Price, Pacific Mining Program Director at Jubilee Australia Research Centre. 

“Twenty years is a long time,” said Manu Peni. “In twenty years, imagine the protection and recognition that could have been won for the Sepik River with leadership that understood its value.” 

“We now face a critical crossroads as a country. Is this the setting of the sun for the Sepik River – or is it a new dawn? People across the world are waking up and watching. By next week, the documentary Sukundimi Walks Before Me will have been screened in three countries across the world and it is only going to grow,” said Manu Peni.  

“The Supreme Sukundimi have declared their decision to guard the River. It is time for all of Papua New Guineans to join with them, in a unified voice, to protect the Sepik River,” said Manu Peni. “It is the heritage that has been entrusted to us for not only our grandchildren, but the great-grandchildren of the world. It is time.”  

Contact Manu Peni for interview. 

Background 

 On 6 June 2006, the PNG Government nominated the Upper Sepik River Basin for World Heritage Status. The text of the nomination can be seen here: https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5065/  

 In May 2020, the Post-Courier published the Supreme Sukundimi Declaration, sharing the message of the Sepik River people with the world. The Declaration as it was published – https://savethesepik.org/the-supreme-sukundimi-declaration/  

 Details about the project can be seen at page 5-5 of the Frieda River EIS – https://www.friedariver.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Chapter-5-Description-of-the-Proposed-Development.pdf  

www.savethesepik.org