SPC: Sustainable climate change adaptation measures highlighted at regional meeting
Colonia, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia - Sixty-five participants from nine small Pacific Island countries and territories have joined development partners this week to review and share experiences from the implementation of the Global Climate Change Alliance: Pacific Small Islands States project.
The European Union (EU) in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is hosting the climate change adaptation project's fifth and final Planning and Steering Committee meeting.
Climate change is a serious threat to the livelihoods and sustainable development of Pacific people.
In his opening address, the Governor of Yap State, the Hon. Tony Ganngiyan, acknowledged the support provided by the EU and SPC and thanked the delegates for "finding us here in Yap State, a state that does not hold many large meetings and conferences".
The meeting gives representatives from the participating Pacific Island countries the opportunity to discuss outstanding activities before the project's completion in 2016 and to share innovative communications tools such as video clips, drama skits, demonstration booths and news broadcasts to present their experiences in tackling the adverse effects of climate change.
In addressing the meeting, the EU Delegation for the Pacific's Programme Manager, Infrastructure and Natural Resources, Martin Chong, stated that sustainability of project activities so that they continue once the project is finished is one of the most important criteria for project evaluation and project success for all the countries involved.
These elements of sustainability were evident in several of the climate change adaptation activities such as in Tuvalu, where agroforestry demonstration sites have been developed to enhance food security.
Here, private landowners and farmers have signed agreements to allow for their land to continue to be used for the demonstration projects for several years to come.
In Tonga, the continued monitoring of hard and soft engineering coastal protection measures will be undertaken by the Geology Division who, together with the Joint National Action Plan Technical Working Group and the Ministry of Infrastructure, will be able to monitor the effectiveness of the measures and make any necessary adjustments.
A water certification programme in Palau has strengthened the capacity of water operators throughout the country and may well prove to be an incentive for the Palau government to finalise the appropriate regulations.
"At least one representative from each of Palau's 19 water systems completed the course. This will contribute to the effective operation of Palau's water systems, even with the challenges of climate variability and change, to provide water far into the future," the GCCA: PSIS Project Coordinator in Palau, John Kintaro, said.
The meeting is a precursor to a larger lessons learnt meeting which also taking place this week.
The Global Climate Change Alliance: Pacific Small Island States project is an SPC-European Union joint initiative, made possible with European Union funding of USD11.4 million. It is implemented regionally by SPC and nationally by each of the nine participating governments in Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tonga and Tuvalu.
More information about the project is available online via the related link below
Media contact
Zhiyad Khan SPC Project Communications Assistant, email: ZhiyadK@spc.int