12 September 2024, Niue - Accessing climate finance to help build a resilient Niue is at the core of ongoing work by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) through the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC). Building capacity to help achieve successful climate change project implementation is at the core of a three-day introductory training now underway.
Working with participants from a wide range of sectors within Niue, the training begins with the three-day programme and is followed by online training through the PCCC. Through this introductory training, participants are learning about project planning, design and the skills required for project planning and development, particularly those funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
This is the first such training to be delivered through GCF readiness support and will be a platform for future training specific to the capacity building needs and demands across the Pacific Islands.
“The work we are doing here is critical for taking the resilience of Niue a step further,” said the Director of Climate Change Resilience for SPREP, Ms Tagaloa Cooper.
“The readiness support provided to Niue and other countries across our Pacific to enhance access to climate finance is a high priority for SPREP and the PCCC. What is unique about this, as we have heard from you, is that we are seeing the wide range of sectors in this room learning about this issue and growing knowledge for action, for the first time.”
As recorded by the Green Climate Fund, to date Niue currently has a GCF portfolio of USD 9.5 Million through the Enhancing Climate Information and Knowledge Services for resilience in 5 island countries of the Pacific Ocean Project, and USD 1.3 Million through Readiness Projects.
Work is ongoing for Niue to access more of the Climate Finance available in the face of climate change impacts forecasted, but already being felt now.
Ninety percent of Niue’s artefacts housed in the national museum, along with archives and records, were destroyed during Tropical Cyclone Heta in 2004. The category five cyclone, a sudden onset event left death and destruction behind. The loss of two lives were mourned, with homes and government infrastructure destroyed to the value of 90 million NZD. The Loss and Damage of Niue’s cultural artefacts from this 2004 event are still being felt today.
“While Niue has progressed well given our resources and capacity in accessing climate finance, we are working towards growing our abilities, and our Green Climate Fund portfolio,” said Mrs Annmarie Aholima, Project Manager for the Readiness Program working within the Niue Project Management Coordination Unit.
“We look forward to working with you all to making this happen. The stronger our ability to access climate funding for a resilient Niue, the stronger our legacy is for Niue’s future in the face of climate change impacts.”
The Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) hosted at SPREP has delivered numerous trainings for the Pacific region on diverse climate change thematic areas with over 1000 people trained since 2020
The outcomes of this particular training in Niue will strengthen capacities to execute and facilitate the problem and objective trees analysis and logical framework development for climate change project formulation as well as an understanding of a theory of change and the formulation of a logical framework.
The PCCC Training for Niue on the Fundamental of Project Development and Design for Climate Finance Access to the Multilateral Climate Change Funds is held from 10 to 12 September 2024 bringing together participants from the Disaster Management Office, Water Sector, Environment Department, Aviation, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Economic Planning, Trade and Investment, Public Service Commission, Chamber of Commerce and the Project Management Coordination Unit.