Climate Change Resilience
Funafuti, Tuvalu, 29 January, 2015 - Representatives from Fiji TV, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC) have commenced work on collecting footage for a new documentary on the provision of solar power to communities in the remote areas of Tuvalu.
The ground-breaking project, run in partnership between the European Union and the Government of Tuvalu, will be documented in a 15 minute television programme, which will look at some of the successes and challenges that the project has faced in improving access to reliable and environmentally sound energy services to three remote outer islands of Tuvalu.
L - R: Jemesa Waqavanua (Fiji TV), Amber Carvan (SPREP), John Rabuatoka (Fiji TV) and
Mafalu Lotolua (Tuvalu Electricity Corporation).
The team travelled by boat from Funafuti to the remote islands of Nukufetau and Nui and hopes to travel to Nukulaelae this week. The Producer of the documentary, Fiji TV's Mr John Rabuatoka, said:
"Interestingly enough, there were long interruptions to the power supply on the islands that we have visited so far. It really gave us an appreciation for some of the hardships faced by the communities that live there. Despite these hardships though, the warmth and generosity of all the islands and villages we have visited has been quite overwhelming."
Assistant Producer, Mr Jemesa Waqavanua, added: "For us this is the first time that we have visited Tuvalu. We'd like to thank all the wonderful people who have helped us out over the past few weeks. On a personal and professional level, this experience has been very memorable."
This documentary is being undertaken as part of the Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project (PIGGAREP), which is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Samoa and executed by SPREP.
The solar facilities being filmed have been made possible through a partnership between the Government of Tuvalu and the European Union with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) of New Zealand, the Government of Finland and PIGGAREP.
The documentary film will be finished in March and will be broadcast on Fiji TV later this year. It will also be available online.
The ground-breaking project, run in partnership between the European Union and the Government of Tuvalu, will be documented in a 15 minute television programme, which will look at some of the successes and challenges that the project has faced in improving access to reliable and environmentally sound energy services to three remote outer islands of Tuvalu.
L - R: Jemesa Waqavanua (Fiji TV), Amber Carvan (SPREP), John Rabuatoka (Fiji TV) and Mafalu Lotolua (Tuvalu Electricity Corporation).
"Interestingly enough, there were long interruptions to the power supply on the islands that we have visited so far. It really gave us an appreciation for some of the hardships faced by the communities that live there. Despite these hardships though, the warmth and generosity of all the islands and villages we have visited has been quite overwhelming."
Assistant Producer, Mr Jemesa Waqavanua, added: "For us this is the first time that we have visited Tuvalu. We'd like to thank all the wonderful people who have helped us out over the past few weeks. On a personal and professional level, this experience has been very memorable."
This documentary is being undertaken as part of the Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project (PIGGAREP), which is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Samoa and executed by SPREP.
The solar facilities being filmed have been made possible through a partnership between the Government of Tuvalu and the European Union with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) of New Zealand, the Government of Finland and PIGGAREP.
The documentary film will be finished in March and will be broadcast on Fiji TV later this year. It will also be available online.