Conservation NGOs in Madang, Papua New Guinea: Understanding Community and Donor Expectations

This article presents a case study from Madang, Papua New Guinea, to illustrate how the priorities of an international environmental nongovernmental organization (NGO) aligned with donor expectations and diverged from the expressed conservation preferences of local residents for management and enforcement. Analysis of data from semistructured interviews with local residents in three villages identified three local community expectations of a Madang NGO: serving as an alternative to the state; providing material resources; and sustaining long-term relationships. Using a political ecology lens, this study illustrates a mismatch between what the NGO does and the expectations and preferences of local residents. Examining this divergence is critical in understanding how NGOs prioritize certain activities over others and what such choices mean for biodiversity conservation. This article provides evidence that some international NGOs prioritize donor goals above local community expectations, implementing conservation activities that meet biodiversity objectives but not local communities' needs.