Solomon Islands Climate Change Adaptation Project

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Briefed on Solomon Islands Climate Change Adaptation Project

[HONIARA, 5 September] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was briefed on the Pacific’s first Adaptation Fund project during his visit to the Solomon Islands.

The UN Secretary General completed his first visit to the Solomon Islands during which held talks with H.E. Mr. Danny Philip, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, and other cabinet members. He also met separately with H.E. Sir Frank O. Kabui, the Governor General; H.E. Sir Allan Kemakeza, the Speaker to Parliament, and H.E. Dr. Derek Sikua, the Leader of the Opposition.

He was briefed on the climate change adaptation project by Rence Sore, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM).

“Climate change in the Solomon Islands will have the biggest impact on agriculture and food security and the Solomon Islands has become the first country in the Pacific to benefit from an Adaptation Fund project that would to make our communities resilient,” said Mr. Sore during the briefing.

The project, called locally “Strongem Waka lo Communiti fo Kaikai (SWoCK)”, aims to strengthen ability of communities in Solomon Islands to make informed decisions and manage likely climate change driven pressures on food production and management system. Seven regions will implement the community based activities – the weather coast area of South Guadalcanal, weather coast area of Makira, South Choiseul, North Malaita, Central Maringe in Isabel, Honiara city, and Lau and LangaLanga lagoon in Malaita.

Through the project communities will develop integrated land use plans to ensure sustainable environment management, and community based farming systems that integrates climate change adaptation practices. The project will also assist communities with efficient use of water in agriculture and aquaculture production systems. A food bank will also be established to protect the biodiversity. The project will also include root crop processing facilities established by women and will facilitate sharing experiences on adaptation to climate change in the agriculture and food security sector within the country and other countries in the Pacific and globally.

Speaking to press earlier in the day the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said, “No one here can doubt that climate change is a security issue. On the frontlines of conflict, there are surging waves of fighters. Here, there are surging waves of the ocean. These ocean waves can be more dangerous than an army. They can wipe out whole islands. The ocean is already destroying crops in low lying atolls like Ontong Java. That puts food security at risk. Poor food security means weak social stability.”

A total of US$5,100,000 from the Kyoto Protocol Adaptation Fund has been allocated to the project for four years. The project is implemented through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and executed by MECDM. The Project will be implemented with the close cooperation with Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE) and NGOs including Kastom Gaden Association and Nuts Growers Association of Solomon Islands.

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