Building geohazard resilience through partnerships in Papua New Guinea

Home Geoscience Australia > News > Building geohazard resilience through partnerships in Papua New Guinea Building geohazard resilience through partnerships in Papua New Guinea

Geoscience Australia is working with partners in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to strengthen natural hazard monitoring, build local technical capability and help communities better understand geohazard risks.

During a visit to Port Moresby and Lae from 19–27 October 2026, Geoscience Australia supported government and community engagement activities showcasing how the longstanding Australia–PNG geoscience partnership is contributing to disaster preparedness and resilience.

Strengthening local monitoring capability

In Port Moresby, Geoscience Australia joined Papua New Guinea's Mineral Resources Authority Geological and Mining Division (MRA-GMD) in briefing Australia's Minister for Emergency Management, the Hon Kristy McBain MP, during her visit to the Mineral Resources Authority.

Four people talking at an indoor event, with attendees in the background and part of a blue display or map at the left.

The briefing highlighted ongoing cooperation to improve geohazard monitoring and disaster preparedness, including a live demonstration of low-cost earthquake monitoring sensors being deployed across PNG as part of the Community-Based Seismic Network.

The technology is helping strengthen local monitoring capability and improve understanding of seismic activity.

The visit also showcased educational resources developed to support PNG partners in communicating natural hazard risks to communities.

Taking geoscience into the community

In Lae, Geoscience Australia participated in the Australian Pavilion at the 2026 Morobe Show, working with the Australian Consulate-General and volunteers from the PNG University of Technology.

students and visitors gathered around an educational display. A woman points to a large, colorful map, while brochures, smaller maps, and a raised landscape model sit on the table.

University volunteers received training to deliver interactive geoscience demonstrations, helping visitors explore how natural hazards can affect communities and infrastructure.

Activities included a demonstration of liquefaction, a process in which earthquake shaking can cause water-saturated ground to temporarily lose strength.

PNG Deputy Prime Minister, The Hon John Rosso visited the Geoscience Australia booth and participated in a demonstration of this phenomenon.

Beyond raising public awareness, the event provided an opportunity for PNG university volunteers to develop their skills in communicating geoscience concepts directly to local audiences.

Building resilience through long-term partnerships

Geoscience Australia's cooperation with PNG extends beyond technology and equipment to include technical support, knowledge sharing and training.

By working alongside PNG institutions, Geoscience Australia is helping build the capability needed to maintain monitoring systems, interpret geoscience information and support decisions about natural hazard risks.

The PNG-Aus partnership is part of Geoscience Australia's broader development and humanitarian work with regional partners, supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Through these partnerships, Geoscience Australia is supporting countries across the region to strengthen natural hazard monitoring and understanding, develop locally owned capability and make better-informed decisions about risk.

The October visit demonstrated the value of combining scientific expertise, institutional partnerships and community engagement to support lasting disaster resilience.