Affected by the global El Niño phenomenon, Papua New Guinea has recently experienced an unprecedented extreme drought. Communities along the Ramu NiCo corridor have seen drastically reduced rainfall, with large swathes of crops withering away. Clan and landowner households are under severe pressure for food supplies, and their normal production and daily lives have been heavily disrupted.
In response, Ramu NiCo, upholding the vision of “One Ramu NiCo, One Community”, has proactively assumed its local responsibilities. The company coordinated and allocated rice and other daily necessities to deliver livelihood support to affected communities along the KBK, inland pipeline, coastal pipeline and refinery corridors, effectively easing hardships for local families.
Stretching from the KBK mine site all the way to the refinery along the slurry pipeline, communities across the corridor have been hit by the prolonged drought. The disaster covers a wide area and lasts for an extended period. Household gardens have largely failed, staple crops suffered massive yield losses, and food prices in local markets have surged. Many indigenous households are facing temporary food shortages.
To address this, the company promptly carried out disaster assessments zone by zone, accurately identifying the practical needs of landowner and tribal households across the full project footprint. Rice distributions were organised in a structured manner, targeting livelihood support directly to community families most in need.
At the distribution sites, community landowner representatives extended sincere gratitude to Ramu NiCo for the timely assistance. They noted that the drought has dragged on for a long time and devastated agricultural harvests, and the rice consignment has greatly relieved their urgent food needs. They said they truly felt the company’s commitment to standing together with the community to tide over difficulties.
As China’s largest investment project in the South Pacific, Ramu NiCo has been rooted in Papua New Guinea for more than a decade. It consistently pursues win win outcomes between resource development and community advancement, embedding community well being into the project’s regular operation and management framework.
While reinforcing disaster prevention and control to sustain stable operations,Ramu NiCo continues to respond to local emergency disaster needs. Leveraging its well established community communication channels, Ramu NiCo delivers livelihood relief, community development and other commitments. Through tangible actions, Ramu NiCo fulfills social responsibilities, steadily consolidating trust between the enterprise and local communities. This serves as a vivid example of China-PNG friendship.
