Climate Change Resilience
A popular component of the recent Multipartite Review (MPR) meeting for the Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project (PIGGAREP) was the presentation of special awards to PIGGAREP Coordinators from Cook Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu. The awards were handed out as part of a project-wide competition for PIGGAREP Coordinators to present a 'success story' from their suite of activities by way of a short story, photo essay or video.
Ms Sili'a Kilepoa-Ualesi, SPREP's Project Manager for PIGGAREP, explained that one of the motivations for organising the competition was to keep communication at the top of mind for the team:
"With the project wrapping up in December after six and a half years, it's vital that we spend some of our remaining time on capturing the experiences, successes and lessons learned so that this information can be passed on to others in the future."
First place was awarded to Mr Mafalu Lotolua from Tuvalu for the production of an entertaining video about PIGGAREP-supported solar energy installations in the outer islands of Tuvalu.
Second place was awarded to the Cook Islands for a short story about the role that wind monitoring can play in the provision of power to communities in remote locations. Unfortunately, the PIGGAREP Coordinator for Cook Islands, Mr Tangi Tereapii, was not present at the event so his award was accepted by Mr Mac Mokoroa, Secretary of Infrastructure Cook Islands.
Third place was awarded to Ms Heremoni Su'apaia-Ah Hoy, PIGGAREP Coordinator for Samoa, for her colourful story about raising awareness of the benefits of renewable energy through engaging the general public, particularly school children.
Special mentions were awarded to Ms Miriam Tikana, PIGGAREP Coordinator for Kiribati, who presented on the biofuel pilot project currently underway on the island of Abemama and to Mr Ofa Sefana for his humour-injected account of the lessons learned in Tonga to ensure community 'buy-in' to solar electrification projects.
Ms Miriam Tikana, PIGGAREP Coordinator for Kiribati, with Ms Lizbeth Cullity and Ms Sili'a Kilepoa-Ualesi.
Judging of the presentations was undertaken by Ms Mina Weydahl (Energy Analyst, UNDP), Mr Mohammad Alamgir (Communications Officer, UNDP) and Ms Amber Carvan (Publications Officer, SPREP), and awards were handed out by Ms Lizbeth Cullity (Resident Representative, UNDP).
Ms Carvan, speaking on behalf of the judging panel, was impressed with the quality and creativity of submissions:
"Engaging a general audience on the topic of renewable energy can pose a range of challenges - one of which is that much of the information tends to be very technical. The judging panel felt that all of the entrants did a terrific job of distilling this technical information into easily understandable bites."
Over the coming months, PIGGAREP Coordinators will be working closely with the Communications and Outreach team at SPREP to develop their presentations further and to produce a suite of materials to record impacts and outcomes of the PIGGAREP project.
Ms Sili'a Kilepoa-Ualesi, SPREP's Project Manager for PIGGAREP, explained that one of the motivations for organising the competition was to keep communication at the top of mind for the team:
"With the project wrapping up in December after six and a half years, it's vital that we spend some of our remaining time on capturing the experiences, successes and lessons learned so that this information can be passed on to others in the future."
First place was awarded to Mr Mafalu Lotolua from Tuvalu for the production of an entertaining video about PIGGAREP-supported solar energy installations in the outer islands of Tuvalu.
Mr Mafalu Lotolua (Tuvalu) receives his first place trophy from Ms Ms Lizbeth Cullity.
Second place was awarded to the Cook Islands for a short story about the role that wind monitoring can play in the provision of power to communities in remote locations. Unfortunately, the PIGGAREP Coordinator for Cook Islands, Mr Tangi Tereapii, was not present at the event so his award was accepted by Mr Mac Mokoroa, Secretary of Infrastructure Cook Islands.
Mr Mac Mokoroa, pictured wth Ms Sili'a Kilepoa-Ualesi and Ms Lizbeth Cullity, accepts the second place trophy for the Cook Islands.
Third place was awarded to Ms Heremoni Su'apaia-Ah Hoy, PIGGAREP Coordinator for Samoa, for her colourful story about raising awareness of the benefits of renewable energy through engaging the general public, particularly school children.
Ms Heremoni Su'apaia-Ah Hoy (Samoa) was awarded third place.
Special mentions were awarded to Ms Miriam Tikana, PIGGAREP Coordinator for Kiribati, who presented on the biofuel pilot project currently underway on the island of Abemama and to Mr Ofa Sefana for his humour-injected account of the lessons learned in Tonga to ensure community 'buy-in' to solar electrification projects.
Ms Miriam Tikana, PIGGAREP Coordinator for Kiribati, with Ms Lizbeth Cullity and Ms Sili'a Kilepoa-Ualesi.Mr Ofa Sefana, PIGGAREP Coordinator for Tonga, also received a special mention.
Judging of the presentations was undertaken by Ms Mina Weydahl (Energy Analyst, UNDP), Mr Mohammad Alamgir (Communications Officer, UNDP) and Ms Amber Carvan (Publications Officer, SPREP), and awards were handed out by Ms Lizbeth Cullity (Resident Representative, UNDP).
Ms Carvan, speaking on behalf of the judging panel, was impressed with the quality and creativity of submissions:
"Engaging a general audience on the topic of renewable energy can pose a range of challenges - one of which is that much of the information tends to be very technical. The judging panel felt that all of the entrants did a terrific job of distilling this technical information into easily understandable bites."
Over the coming months, PIGGAREP Coordinators will be working closely with the Communications and Outreach team at SPREP to develop their presentations further and to produce a suite of materials to record impacts and outcomes of the PIGGAREP project.