Enhancing environmental governance across the Pacific Islands region, the Pacific Network for Environmental Assessment (PNEA) hosted a regional learning exchange through a webinar marking a significant step forward in regional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The PNEA, established by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is an online network that provides resources and capacity building opportunities to support environmental practitioners across the Pacific. This is in advancement of environmental assessments and planning in the region.
The objective of the webinar was to introduce the Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators neTwork (AELERT). It provided a knowledge sharing platform for participants experts and attendees to exchange valuable insights on environmental governance, law enforcement, and compliance strategies.
“As we navigate the complexities of strengthening environmental governance in our region, we recognise that partnerships are critical,” stated Mr Vainuupo Jungblut Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Adviser for SPREP.
“In this context, SPREP is exploring a partnership with AELERT to bolster our collaborative efforts and capacity to advance and strengthen environmental assessments, compliance, enforcement, and regulation in the region. We look forward to a fruitful partnership that will provide practical support and resources for environmental regulators in the Pacific.”
Held on 27 February 2024, the webinar attracted a diverse audience of over 20 environmental practitioners from across and beyond the Pacific, including representatives from governmental and non-governmental organisations, private sector entities, and partners from the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand and the World Bank.
Established in 2003, the AELERT is a professional network for regulators across Australasia, hosted by the Australian Commonwealth Government. AELERT comprises over 250 member agencies and more than 3,000 individual members, including both environmental and non-environmental regulators. The network has a track record for fostering innovation and collaboration for environmental law enforcement and regulatory practitioners and can offer valuable tools and lessons for Pacific Island environmental practitioners.
“Our webinar was really about hearing from Pacific practitioners but also providing you with some information about what the AELERT network is all about, some of the practical tools that make a regulator, both and individual and an agency, connected to a community,” said Mr Gregory Abood, the Chief Executive Officer of AELERT.
“I look forward to working in partnership with SPREP to help build and enhance Pacific Islands environmental governance. Building on this platform, SPREP and AELERT will continue deepening their partnership, emphasising the mutual benefits of continued collaboration to support Pacific Island environmental regulators and practitioners.”
The webinar presentations were led by Mr Abood, and the Senior Legal Officer at the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation in Western Australia, Mr Andre Maynard. The presentations provided profound insights into AELERT's collaborative platforms that facilitate knowledge sharing and capacity building amongst environmental regulatory agencies. Participants were also introduced to how AELERT's tools and resources such as compliance partnerships, specialist technical advice and the Modern Regulator Improvement Tool can enhance monitoring, enforcement, and stakeholder engagement.
The Pacific Network for Environmental Assessment (PNEA) is an initiative of the Environmental Monitoring Governance (EMG) Programme of SPREP and supported with financial assistance from the Capacity Building Related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) In African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries - Phase III (ACPMEAs III) programme. The portal provides resources and capacity building opportunities to support environmental practitioners across the Pacific in advancement of environmental assessments and planning in the region.
For more information about the PNEA or future initiatives, visit the PNEA portal, https://pnea.sprep.org or contact the Director for the Environmental and Governance Program, Jope Davetanivalu, [email protected], Environmental Assessment and Planning Officer, Puta Tofinga, [email protected] or PNEA Technical Support Officer, Ivan Diarra, [email protected].