Climate Change Resilience
16 November 2016, UNFCCC COP22, Marrakech, Morocco - The integrated approach to building resilient communities is well documented in the Pacific region. However, more efforts still need to be made for Pacific countries to better access financing mechanisms to effectively implement these approaches.
"The Pacific is ready with the regional and national arrangements for resilient development," said Dr Netatua Pelesikoti, Director Climate Change Division, at the Secretariat of the Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Dr Pelesikoti spoke as a panellist on the topic: 'Integrated Approach for Resilient Development in the Pacific' at a side event organised by the United Nations Education and Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
"The recently endorsed Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP) and the approaches that the region has done on sustainable and integrated management of the Oceans highlights the Pacific's leadership in moving towards resilient development," Dr Pelesikoti said.
"The FRDP is very closely aligned to the historic 2015 Paris Agreement, the SAMOA pathway, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as the Sendai Framework."
"The Pacific has a legacy of taking eco-system based adaptation measures for sustainable livelihoods," Professor Holland said.
"We have looked at the types of coping and adaptation activities, the communities and households have already applied to reduce their loss and damage."
"We have also done other studies that have looked at how small actions at the community level, actions like planting mangroves, can influence the rest of the SDGs."
"Our study in four villages in Fiji has demonstrated that the total economic value for six different mangrove ecosystem services was estimated to be around a FJD$100,000 a year for these communities, out of a 169 SDG targets, the combined results of our studies show that the villagers are progressing to achieve 32 of the 169 targets."
"I say this to underscore the importance of the community actions and the community partnership to achieve resilience all the way and how that should be informing the decisions that are made."
The side event was held during the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP22).
A total of 13 Pacific Island country delegations are attending COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco from 7 to 18 November, 2016. In all, 14 Pacific islands are Parties to the UNFCCC. – By Jone Tuiipelehaki Raqauqau reporting from UNFCCC COP 22 #4PacIslands
"The Pacific is ready with the regional and national arrangements for resilient development," said Dr Netatua Pelesikoti, Director Climate Change Division, at the Secretariat of the Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Dr Pelesikoti spoke as a panellist on the topic: 'Integrated Approach for Resilient Development in the Pacific' at a side event organised by the United Nations Education and Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
"The recently endorsed Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP) and the approaches that the region has done on sustainable and integrated management of the Oceans highlights the Pacific's leadership in moving towards resilient development," Dr Pelesikoti said.
"The FRDP is very closely aligned to the historic 2015 Paris Agreement, the SAMOA pathway, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as the Sendai Framework."
She added, "What this means for the region is that the interventions each Pacific Island Governments make on the ground can and will, be easily reported to at the regional and national levels.
Also speaking at the side event, Professor Elisabeth Holland, Director for the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) with the University of the South Pacific (USP), echoed the Pacific's leadership in building resilient communities.
Also speaking at the side event, Professor Elisabeth Holland, Director for the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) with the University of the South Pacific (USP), echoed the Pacific's leadership in building resilient communities.
"The Pacific has a legacy of taking eco-system based adaptation measures for sustainable livelihoods," Professor Holland said.
"We have looked at the types of coping and adaptation activities, the communities and households have already applied to reduce their loss and damage."
"We have also done other studies that have looked at how small actions at the community level, actions like planting mangroves, can influence the rest of the SDGs."
"Our study in four villages in Fiji has demonstrated that the total economic value for six different mangrove ecosystem services was estimated to be around a FJD$100,000 a year for these communities, out of a 169 SDG targets, the combined results of our studies show that the villagers are progressing to achieve 32 of the 169 targets."
"I say this to underscore the importance of the community actions and the community partnership to achieve resilience all the way and how that should be informing the decisions that are made."
The side event was held during the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP22).
A total of 13 Pacific Island country delegations are attending COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco from 7 to 18 November, 2016. In all, 14 Pacific islands are Parties to the UNFCCC. – By Jone Tuiipelehaki Raqauqau reporting from UNFCCC COP 22 #4PacIslands