Overview:
A chief's blockade of Ngardmau Waterfall on July 25 has reopened a years-long land dispute with the state — one that touches everything from tourist revenue to the acting governor's own house.
By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
NGARDMAU, Palau (August 4, 2026) — A chief’s move to block access to the popular Ngardmau Waterfall on July 25 has reignited a long-running land dispute between the Ngedilingel clan and the state government, temporarily disrupting tourist access to the site known locally as Taki.
Uormersai Johnny Tudong, chief of the Ngedilingel clan, blocked the waterfall’s entrance temporarily, asserting ownership over the land. Witnesses said police responded to the scene, and negotiations followed among Tudong, law enforcement, the acting governor and state employees as tourists arrived seeking access to the trail. The standoff was resolved for the day when Tudong agreed to remain on-site and collect entrance fees himself.
Tudong said the land in question — which includes the waterfall, the Ngardmau State building, a new housing area and portions of the Compact Road — belongs to the Ngedilingel clan. He said court proceedings around 2019-2020 settled the land dispute in the clan’s favor.
“Since then, I had previously locked the entrance to the waterfall but decided to re-open it for state use because, at the time, the governor of Ngardmau State was Blesoch Aderkeroi, who is my wife’s nephew and my children’s cousin,” Tudong said.
Tudong said that after Aderkeroi’s term ended and Jennifer Ngiraiwet became governor, he proposed a formal use agreement with the state several months ago, giving Ngiraiwet 15 days to review it. He said she asked for more time on the 14th day, and he agreed to the delay.
Ngiraiwet was impeached July 21 while the agreement was still under review. Four days later, Tudong blocked the waterfall entrance.
Tudong said he has since spoken with Acting Governor Terence Miozawa, who agreed to let the state resume collecting tourist fees and return employees to work at the site while he reviews Tudong’s proposed agreement on future use of the waterfall and surrounding land.
According to the Ngardmau State Government, weekly tourist fee revenue from the waterfall currently ranges from $800 to $1,700, averaging about $4,000 a month — figures that reflect a drop in tourism. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, monthly revenue reached as high as $30,000.
Five state employees currently manage the site: two fee collectors and three maintenance workers. Tourists are charged a $10 entrance fee.
The land Tudong claims for the Ngedilingel clan also includes several pieces of state infrastructure and private residences, including the acting governor’s house.
Efforts to reach the acting governor for comment before publication were unsuccessful. Island Times will continue to follow this story.