LIVING IN A "BORROWED TIME"

A mother from Sikaiana Atoll cleaning her swamp taro garden, badly impacted by climate change.

With Climate Change taking its toll on low lying islands in the Solomon Islands, 'food security' is severely impacted.  

Coastal erosion, vanishing islands, and food shortage are now becoming the new normal- impacting lives.

SIBC travelled to the Malaita Outliers of Lord Howe and Sikaiana atolls and discovered how communities cope under hazardous effects.  

One of the Chiefs spoken to is Chief William Kameru:

"I am about to die, yet my sadness grows every day. I am happy to see my grandchildren and my community growing, but my question still is, where would they be in the next 50 years?" 

Solomon Islands climate change activist, Lawrence Makili showing the impact of climate change in Avaha Island, Lord Howe

The remoteness of the atolls, poses even serious health risk of starvation and malnutrition as the islanders depend almost entirely on manufactured foods from Honiara, where transport difficulty is an added challenges. 

"With salt water intrusion into our swamp taro gardens, our only staple food, we are now depending on manufactured foods
from Honiara. Our children's health is at stake," says one of the young men, George Akolu.

A month ago, a group of chiefs from the Lord Howe Atoll accepted the challenge and risked crossing the Rocardo reef on open boats to protest against government services, not reaching them. 

"Sikaiana and Lord Howe atolls were always the heart of our leaders discussion whenever they attended international climate change summits.

But for tangible climate change resilience activities to be seen in  our communities, nothing's happened. The government must know 
we are Solomon Islanders too. We were desperately needs relocation."

With ongoing climate resilience effort among Pacific Islands, regional Leaders have launched a "Blue Pacific Continent Strategy" which specifically targets mitigating climate change effects in the Pacific. 

by Charley Piringi


  
  
  

ADB supports Pacific Disaster Resilience Program

Malau Lalo Island, Makira Province, Solomon Islands.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved 24-million dollars in contingent disaster financing for the second phase of the Pacific Disaster Resilience Program.

This is aimed at strengthening and boosting disaster resilience efforts in Solomon Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands and Tonga.

ADB's assistance will include a 3-million dollars policy-based loan and a 3-million dollars grant to Solomon Islands, and grants worth 6-million dollars each to FSM, the Marshall Islands, and Tonga. 

A statement from ADB said all the grants are financed from the ADB's grant-based development financing vehicle. 

The policy-based loan comes from ADB's ordinary capital resources. 
Meanwhile, ADB said the second phase will provide a second round of contingent disaster financing for Tonga, along with three new countries namely FSM, Marshall Islands, and Solomon Islands.

ADB Climate Change Specialist for the Pacific Ms. Hanna Uusimaa said based on the success of the program's first phase, the second phase will support policy actions in disaster risk management and provide a source of rapidly disbursing finance for timely disaster response and early recovery.

The policy actions supported under the program's second phase focus on strengthening policy, governance, and institutional arrangements for disaster risk management; improving investment planning processes and tools; and expanding disaster risk financing in participating countries. 

The program operates under the guidance of the region's own frameworks for resilient development and addresses risks pertaining to disaster events that would normally exhaust annual contingency budgets or emergency funds but may not be cost-effectively covered by insurance.

by Charley Piringi

CLIMATE FINANCE

Climate Change is a cross cutting issue and needs a collaborative effort from every fields to address, 
NOT just a matter for those in the field of science. 

This is a message from a newly Graduated Dr of Philosophy on Climate Change, specifically on the area of Adaptation and Climate Finance, Dr Michael Ha'apio. 

An abandoned home in Avaha, Lord Howe Atoll  (Solomon Islands) due to climate change impact in smaller islands 

Dr. Ha'apio says in order for the country to be resilient to the impacts of climate change, 
various fields must work together. 

"Climate change is a big issue in the country at the moment. And there are policies and directions that we need to help people to adapt to climate change impacts. The country is in fact lacking in climate finance, and if we need to be effective in our resilience, we need finance, we need adaptation, we need all these. it is important to address climate change issue, not only in scientific perspective, but also in adaptation and financial perspective as well."   

He adds, all country men and women must work together despite their different fields of study backgrounds 
to help the Solomon Islands' communities to be resilient towards climate change effects. 

"Climate change is a cross cutting issue that has impacted every areas of our communities.
And if we were t9o address these issue we have to address it from various dimensions as well, 
which requires collective efforts."

Recently, during the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tuvalu, Pacific Leaders launched a "Blue Pacific Continent" Strategy which aims collectively address
the issue of climate change in the region.

Fishermen in Lord Howe atoll, Solomon Islands

Upon his return from Tuvalu, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said, "Alone, we are helpless, together, we can help each other to address the issue."

The Solomon Islands is currently under severe threat of climate change, where some of the atoll 
outliers seeking refuge in bigger islands.      

by Allen Waitara and Charley Piringi

BLUE PACIFIC CONTINENT

After a week of Pacific Islands intensive talks  in Tuvalu, on issues facing the Pacific Islands where climate change is at the top of the agendas, Pacific Leaders agreed and have launched a "Blue Pacific Continent Strategy".

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said, climate change must be 'addressed collectively.'

Modern Day Climate Change Refugees seeking refuge. 

Climate refugees seeking refuge

Climate Refugees seeking refuge

By PIRINGI

Residents of Luaniua and Pelau in the Malaita Outer- Islands could be the country's first official modern day Climate refugees. 

The House of Chiefs from both Luaniua and Pelau are now seeking Government assistance to be officially relocated to a bigger island as survival becomes tougher on their Climate Change stricken Atolls.

Spokesman for the two house of chiefs, Chris Keungi said, Malaita outer islands has always been the example when National Government discuss Climate Change effects with international organisations or bilateral partners.

The sad reality, he adds, is that nothing tangible has reached his people when it comes to Climate Resilience assistance and so their hope of survival on the Atolls is fading fast.

"We were always at the forefront of international climate change discussion, but when it comes to tangible support at our islands, it's almost nothing. All we need now is for the government to relocate some of our people to bigger islands.
If they can do it for foreign Gilbertese here, why not us, indigenous Solomon Islanders?" 

He said, food insecurity as a result of the effects of climate change is now their main worry.

Mr. Keungi said, the future of their future generations is now uncertain.

"The future of our children remain uncertain, as we don't know where else to escape the onslaught of climate change."

Meanwhile, SIBC TV understands, the government is still working on its climate change refugee policy.

But during the recent Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tuvalu, climate change was among top priority in the agenda.

"On his arrival from the Tuvalu Forum Leaders Meeting, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare assures citizens that the newly launched 'Blue Pacific Continent Strategy', we are looking at address climate change issue collectively.  Alone, we are doing nothing. We must work together with our Pacific neighbours."

With the newly launched Blue Pacific Continent Strategy,  we are looking addressing the issues collectively 

Extreme weather events in the country in recent years serve as a forewarning of the impacts on the environment that are likely to occur due to climate change.

Climate change also poses risks to natural ecosystems such as the coastal and marine environments, fisheries, agriculture, water resources, health, biodiversity, infrastructure and industry.





 

 

The Blue Pacific

The Blue Pacific

Source: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Pacific countries demonstrate innovation in sustainably developing, managing, and conserving their part of the Pacific Ocean

The Blue Pacific is the world’s largest oceanic continent, made up of a grouping of Pacific island countries and territories engaged in innovative and unique initiatives that show leadership toward strong regional ocean governance and the sustainable management and conservation of the ocean and its resources.

This was the message shared with participants of the UN Ocean Conference today by Pacific Leaders at the ‘Blue Pacific’ event, hosted and chaired by the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner – Dame Meg Taylor.

Blue Pacific – Our Sea Of Islands, Our Livelihoods, Our Oceania: Achieving SDG 14 through effective implementation of Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy, was an opportunity for the Pacific region’s key decision makers to highlight the cooperation currently guiding ocean governance in the Pacific.

Prime Minister of Samoa Honourable Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said“For many countries the ocean and SDG 14 may be of marginal importance for their political and development ambitions, but for Pacific Islands Forum members the ocean is crucial and SDG 14 a critical catalyst for placing the ocean at the heart of the Pacific’s 2030 Development Agenda through the concept of The Blue Pacific.

“The Blue Pacific seeks to recapture the collective potential of our shared stewardship of the Pacific Ocean based on an explicit recognition of our shared ocean identity, ocean geography, and ocean resources. The Blue Pacific aims to strengthen collective action as one ‘Blue Pacific Continent’ by putting The Blue Pacific at the centre of the regional policy making process and the requisite collective action for advancing the Forum Leaders’ Vision for the Region.” The President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and current Pacific Islands Forum Chair, HE President Peter Christian highlighted some of the contributions being made by FSM to conserve Pacific ocean resources saying, “The Federated States of Micronesia will continue to stand strong with leaders of the Pacific in joined-efforts to find solutions to address the most immediate needs while awaiting the longer term strategies for solutions for the damage we know will come as a result of a lack of attention to the oceans and climate change”

President of French Polynesia, HE Mr Edouard Fritch said, “The Ocean is our cultural identity. It is a cornerstone of our social cohesion. It is also the foundation of our economy and it is our road to prosperity. But the ocean is deeply threatened and endangered by human kind due to inconsiderate activities and behaviour. Climate change, overexploitation of natural resources, marine pollution from land and ocean based sources are putting our livelihoods on borrowed time.”

Republic of the Marshall Islands Minister for Transportation and Communications, Hon. Mike Halferty said, “The SDGs are an ambitious challenge for everyone and I think even more for small islands like mine But it is right that our region is pulling together strong around SDG14. In the Marshall Islands we are 99% ocean and it is our most important resource. So progress on the ocean depends on not seeing the ocean as an isolated silo but mainstreaming it into and across all development sectors.”

Pacific Ocean Commissioner and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Dame Meg Taylor said that the idea of the Blue Pacific was a timely and necessary reframing for Pacific Island countries and territories to be part of a gigantic oceanic continent. A collective who worked together for the sustainable progress of their people and their environment.

“The Pacific Ocean has long been a catalyst for Pacific regionalism. It transcends our national borders and as a result it impacts many of our shared development aspirations. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an opportunity for the planet to address an urgent need and focus on the health, integrity and durability of our ocean. his means rethinking the way we conserve and develop oceanic resources. In many ways, the Pacific region is a world leader when it comes to weaving our vast knowledge of the ocean into an integrated approach to ocean management. We have many things to be proud of,” said Dame Meg.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals were agreed to by 193 countries of the United Nations in 2015. Sustainable Development Goal 14 aims to conserve and sustainable use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. It is commonly referred to as SDG 14: Life Below Water.

This week’s United Nations Ocean Conference is being co-chaired by the Governments of Fiji and Sweden and provides a platform for both state and non-state actors to build partnerships and collectively plan activities that will help achieve sustainable development goal 14 and its targets.

The Ocean Conference began in New York today (5th June) and will conclude on Friday 9th June.