Doti BisnisDoti Bisnis | Papua New Guinea | 2011 Papua New Guinea is rich with minerals, fish and timber, however, the Government of PNG continues to keep the profits while local communities are left with the negative impacts and are often unheard in resource negotiations. As some companies attempt to make improvements, there is still much to be done to alleviate the human cost of these exploits and reduce the environmental damage caused. These images were taken in February 2011 for the Mineral Policy Institute, who continue to monitor the environmental and social impacts of mining in Australia and the Pacific; and although the main focus is on mineral exploitation, this series also tries to show some aspects of daily life throughout PNG. |  Nightfall, Port Moresby, PNG, 2011 |  Lae Valley, PNG, 2011Three men sit and look over the Lae Valley in Papua New Guinea. These roads are steep and muddy, a bus has broken down blocking the path for others. It's a long way up and down. |  Storm Over the Bismarck Sea, Madang, PNG, 2011Over the wall, banana boats move citizens across the bay for 2Kina, maybe 3. On this side, a coffee costs 9kina. it rains, and rains and rains, so heavy the tarps cover the trucks taking people from the market-place, bus-stop, home to fires electric lights buzzing mosquitos. |  Smells of Bismarck, Madang, PNG, 2011Selling fish, taro, sago, sweet potatoes and bananas the sun drops behind the bay, smoke rises from fire, the women, perched on the waterside, wave the smoke away with a banana leaf and wait for the next Kina to be given. |  Ramu Piping, PNG, 2011A tailings pipe that runs from the Ramu Nickel Mine to the sea in PNG. |  Roads into the Highlands, PNG, 2011 |  Alluvial Mining, Bulolo District, PNG, 2011A local alluvial miner shows his finds in the Bulolo District. |  Hidden Valley Gold Mine, PNG, 2011The Hidden Valley Gold Mine, owned by Australian and South African companies, Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold, is located at the top of the Watut River, a major river system which feeds hundreds of communities that live along it. Communities have complained that the river is being polluted by dumping of waste by the mine. They say that the sedimentation has built up causing damage to food crops and water quality, as well as to the practice of local alluvial gold mining, which communities are dependent for their incomes. |  Maria Mete, Bulolo District, PNG, 2011Maria Mete claims that her skin has become affected with a rash after washing in the Watut River that has been allegedly polluted by the Hidden Valley Gold Mine's RIverine Tailings Disposal. |  Community Meeting, Bulolo District, PNG, 2011A public meeting is held in the Bulolo District to discuss the impacts of the Hidden Valley Gold Mine situated at the top of the Watut River that has been allegedly been dumping it's waste into the river affecting many communities downstream. |  Kapin Village, PNG, 2011A traditional dance is performed in Kapin, a village along the Watut River, in the Morobe Province. |  Community Meeting, Kapin Village, Watut River Community, PNG, 2011The Kapin village hold a special community meeting to discuss the impacts of the Hidden Valley Gold Mine situated at the top of the Watut River that has been allegedly been dumping it's waste into the river affecting many communities downstream. |  Margaret Lini, Kapin Village, Wautut River, PNG, 2011Local women talk of the impacts the Hidden Valley Gold Mine has had on their daily life. |  Alluvial Mining, Watut River, PNG, 2011A local alluvial miner in the Kapin Village shows how difficult it has become to find gold in the Watut River since the sedimentation has built up as a result of silting from the Hidden Valley Gold Mine. |  Alluvial Mining, Watut River, PNG, 2011 |  Watut River Community Meeting, PNG, 2011A child listens to a community meeting regarding the impacts of the Hidden Valley Gold Mine on Watut River Communities. |  Kapin Village, Watut River Community, PNG, 2011Community members wave goodbye at a leaving chopper from their remote community, about 8 hours walk from a public road. |  Watut River, Wau Valley, PNG, 2011Communities living along the Watut River in the Wau Valley, PNG, depend on it for water, fish and local alluvial mining. Since the Hidden Valley gold mine began development in 2010, communities claim the river has become polluted and the sedimentation has built, causing drastic impacts to their livelihoods. |  Deforestation, Watut River Community PNG, 2011. |  Edie Ck, Gold Mine, Wau Valley, PNG, 2011The Edie Creek Gold Mine sits in the middle of a major gold province that has been mined since the 1920s. Although they are situated near the large Hidden Valley gold mine, the company, Niuminco have yet to find much. |  Roadside Marketplace, Bulolo District, PNG, 2011 |  Yandera Mining Exploration, PNG, 2011 |  Yandera Mining Exploration, PNG, 2011 |  Core Samples, Yandera exploration project, PNG, 2011A shed containing core samples from Yandera's gold, copper and silver exploration project, sits perched on the edge of a steep mountainous range in Papua New Guinea's highlands. The project is yet to be operational, however, already faces strong opposition for its plans to dump tailings into the sea. |  Aquila Emil's Coffin, Kavieng, PNGAquila Emil, a well known Papuan footballer was shot dead in his car on the 4th of February in Port Moresby. His body was flown to his home town of Meteui, New Hanover, and was welcomed by a large crowd at the Kavieng airport. |  Aquila Emil's Funeral, Kavieng, PNGAquila Emil, a well known Papuan footballer was shot dead in his car on the 4th of February in Port Moresby. His body was flown to his home town of Meteui, New Hanover, and was welcomed by a large crowd at the Kavieng airport. |  St. Mary's Hospital, Kokopo, PNG, 2011Several people at St. Mary's Hospital in Kokopo complained of being wounded in a logging accident. They said that the Malaysian owned companies weren't doing anything to help them or their families after the accident. |  New Born, St. Mary's Hospital, Kokopo, PNGAn exhausted mother sits next to her new born at the St. Mary's Hospital in Kokopo, New Britain, PNG. Infant mortality is high, 64 out of every 1000 births. |  Tavurvur Volcano, Rabaul, PNGNaomi and her daughter from the Matupit community describe how villagers were not relocated after the Tavurvur eruption in 2006. They remained in the community without relief and are trying to rebuild their lives. They harvest fowls eggs buried near the volcano to sell at the market for 2-3 Kina each. |  Tavurvur Volcano, Rabaul, PNG, 2011Naomi and her daughter from the Matupit community describe how villagers were not relocated after the Tavurvur eruption in 2006. They remained in the community without relief and are trying to rebuild their lives. They harvest fowls eggs buried near the volcano to sell at the market for 2-3 Kina each. |  Graveyard, Matupit Community, Rabaul, PNGA graveyard in the Matupit Community just outside of Rabaul lies in sight of the Tavurvur Volcano. The village is covered in ash and the town has never recovered from the eruption in 2006. |  Kids Playing, Kavieng, New Ireland, PNG, 2011Deep Sea Mining Projects are getting underway near the New Ireland Province, PNG. |  Storm Brewing, Bulolo District, PNG, 2011 |