JOSEPHINE LAKA

Josephine Laka is an agriculture and community development specialist with extensive experience in rural livelihoods, conservation, and women’s empowerment in Papua New Guinea (PNG). She is currently building her capacity as a Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) Specialist for the GEF7 Projects in PNG with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). In this role, she contributes to advancing biodiversity and sustainable development goals by ensuring that communities are meaningfully consulted and engaged in decision-making processes.

Josephine has led critical initiatives including rapid METT assessments, Conservation Needs Assessments, Social Screening, and FPIC processes in protected and proposed conservation areas across the Eastern and Western Highlands Provinces. Her career reflects a strong commitment to empowering rural communities, strengthening women’s voices in resource management, and promoting inclusive, sustainable livelihoods that benefit both people and the environment.