17 March 2023, Koror, Palau – The Global Climate Change Alliance Plus Scaling Up Pacific Adaptation (GCCA+ SUPA) Project convened its Fifth Steering Committee and Lessons Learned Meeting in Koror, Palau from 13 – 17 March 2023.
The GCCA+ SUPA is a European Union (EU) funded initiative aimed at helping the Pacific’s most vulnerable countries and communities address climate change. It focuses on scaling up climate change adaptation (CCA) in specific sectors supported by knowledge management and capacity building. The project is delivered jointly by the Pacific Community (SPC), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the University of the South Pacific (USP) and collaborates closely with other programmes and projects in the Pacific region. The EUR 14.89 million project is implemented in ten countries, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tonga and Tuvalu, and wherever possible focused on outer island communities.
The Project Steering Committee Meeting reviewed the overall delivery of project activities and budget. The meeting also gave GCCA+ SUPA country representatives an opportunity to present on national activities and their experiences in the use of the project developed Impacts Methodology. The four-and-a-half-year project will conclude this year and the meeting provided an avenue for the committee to develop a closure plan for the project and its activities.
In his welcoming remarks, the President of the host country, Palau, His Excellency Mr Surangel Whipps Jr highlighted the importance of project steering committee meetings and conferences. He says, “these provide opportunities to share what we learn. What can we do better? The lessons learned throughout the Pacific means we don’t have to re-invent the wheel. We need to share what we know and collectively find ways to solve our problems”.
Implementing countries were able to do this in the second part of the meeting, where an exchange of lessons and experiences took place between country representatives and the implementing agencies.
During the interactive panel sessions, Ms Umai Basilius shared Palau’s experience in the use of the Impacts Methodology for project design and implementation. She says “this is a methodology that has multiple applications, on the front end, the back end and the middle of project design and implementation. The best part is you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand this, you just have to be systematic and involve a lot of people. Because this is not something you do alone. This is something you do with a group of people across multiple sectors, and you need to be consistent.”
She further highlights the usefulness of the tool in country, “the methodology allows for a systematic process that allows for stakeholders to consider past actions and fully engage in the project design process. It is a process that is efficient, it works and is relatively easy to understand and this is great for Palau”.
Complementing the interactive panel sessions were field visits to GCCA+ SUPA project activities in Palau. This provided participants with an opportunity to discuss with project beneficiaries the impacts of the activities in Palau while also sharing their own country experiences.
Field visits included the Meyuns Elementary School, the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Division of Health’s HazMat Facility and Vector Laboratory and the Division of Media and Information Services in Koror.
An important component of the meeting was a closed session for implementing countries only to discuss the challenges they faced in implementation of the project and how these were addressed. Feedback from the meeting was later shared with the EU and the implementing agencies.
The Steering Committee Meeting is the first face-to-face meeting for the project due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
For more information, please contact: GCCA+ SUPA SPREP Project Lead, Ms. Monifa Fiu on email: [email protected] or GCCA+ SUPA Information and Research Officer, Ms. Gloria Roma on email: [email protected]