The Inform Project Regional Meeting provided a platform to highlight notable achievements and valuable lessons learned throughout its implementation period. Held on 20 – 21 June, in Nadi, Suva, the meeting presented an array of opportunities that strengthened collaborative partnerships between Member countries and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Through interactive discussions and presentations, several success stories, insights, and experiences at the national level were shared, showcasing the tangible results achieved. Notable achievements included the establishment of the network of national environment data portals in fourteen Pacific Member countries, namely, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, which has a significant impact on data accessibility and sharing.
"The Papua New Guinea Environment Portal has provided an excellent platform for environmental data access and sharing. Notably, the portal has significantly increased the visibility of our work. Its pivotal role is evident in the development of the PNG State of Environment Report,” said Mr. Richard Balone, a representative from Papua New Guinea.
The implementation of national environmental data portals, has revolutionised data management practices, making valuable information readily available to stakeholders. According to Ms. Bineta Boraia from Kiribati, “The capacity building training conducted under the Inform Project have empowered environmental officers stationed in the outer islands of Kiribati to contribute valuable data and information to the Kiribati Environment Portal. This has resulted in a significant enhancement of our data collection efficiency”.
The Pacific Data Hub, spearheaded by the Pacific Community (SPC), complements the Pacific Environment Portals by providing a broader scope of data resources. This collaboration between SPREP and SPC formed the Pacific Data Ecosystem that represents a shared vision to empower the Pacific region with accessible, comprehensive, and high-quality data. By leveraging the strengths and expertise of both organisations, the Pacific data ecosystem aims to support the sustainable development aspirations of Pacific Island communities.
“In the last four years, we have seen an unprecedented amount of data and information from the Pacific made accessible through the data initiatives led by SPREP and SPC. This ecosystem is not only improving access to data for the Pacific but also serves as a platform for fostering collaboration and partnerships, building communities of practice, and establishing trust between data owners, data access providers, and data consumers.”
“Strengthening these partnerships, ongoing collaboration and coordination is critical for sustaining these data initiatives to ensure that timely and reliable data are available to respond to the complex social and economic development challenges facing our most vulnerable Pacific Small Island Developing States,” said Mr. Sioeli Tonga, Program Manager of the Pacific Data Hub.
The collaborative efforts between SPREP and member countries have resulted in the successful completion of several national State of Environment (SOE) reports and the Regional State of Environmental and Conservation reports. The SOE reports enhances Member countries’ understanding of environmental issues, prioritises areas for action through the National Environmental Management Strategies (NEMS), and supported Multilateral Environment Agreement (MEA) reporting and strengthened evidence-based decision-making.
“The Solomon Islands State of Environment Report plays a crucial role in our monitoring programs, which are integrated into our divisions' annual work programs,” said Mr. Josef Hurutarau, Acting Director, Solomon Islands, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology.
The SOE reports provide invaluable insights into the environmental status, trends, and priorities within each country, serving as a foundation for informed policy formulation, resource allocation, and targeted interventions.
According to Mr. Reuben Kausea of Tuvalu, “The Tuvalu State of Environment report 2022 has been a key baseline for monitoring progress for the Department of Environment”. The reports have served as essential reference documents for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders across various sectors.
.JPG)
The regional meeting also provided a platform for exploring existing opportunities for further collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation to sustain the momentum created by the Inform Project. This was presented through awareness presentation by SPREP representatives of the Pacific Bioscape Project, the UNEP-led Enhancing Climate Information and Knowledge Services for Resilience in five island countries of the Pacific Ocean Programme with funding from GCF, as well as the European Union initiated capacity building project phase 3 titled, "Capacity Building related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries. The importance of continued support and investment in data management, capacity building, and environmental initiatives was emphasised to build on the Inform project's achievements and drive positive change. The knowledge and experiences gained throughout the project have laid a strong foundation for future endeavours in environmental sustainability and resilience.
The Inform Regional meeting was made possible through the support by the UNEP-led project on Enhancing Climate Information and Knowledge Services for Resilience in five island countries of the Pacific Ocean Programme with funding from GCF: the ACP/MEA Phase 3 Project; and the “Building National and Regional Capacity to Implement Multilateral Environmental Agreements by Strengthening Planning and the State of Environmental Assessment and Reporting in the Pacific," more commonly known as the Inform project funded by the Global Environment Facility, implemented by UN Environment and executed by SPREP.
For more information about the Inform project please contact Tavita Su’a, [email protected]