Climate Change Resilience
16 November 2016, UNFCCC COP22, Marrakech, Morocco - In the pursuit for sustainable development, the integration of risk and rights based approaches across national, sub-national and community development planning is crucial in ensuring that no one is left behind.
At the heart of the sustainable development agenda is ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable are met.
This is also one of the guiding principles highlighted in the recently endorsed Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP) – a first integrated climate change and disaster risk reduction framework of its kind for the Pacific and the world.
"Climate Change impacts people disproportionately," said Samuela Pohiva, Under Secretary for the Government of Tonga's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).
"The fundamental core human rights such as the right to life, safety, dignity, non-discrimination and access to basic necessities are constantly threatened by adverse impacts of climate change", Mr. Pohiva said.
"Therefore, human rights considerations must also be integrated across national and community development plans."
He spoke at a side event titled: SDG 1: Community-level adaptation practices to reduce disaster risk, build resilience and end poverty at the meeting of the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-22) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
"With the leadership of the Climate Change Department, we are incorporating national priorities developed from Tonga's climate change policy and integrating them into community development plans."
"To date, Tonga has completed integrating climate change and disaster risks into community level planning for 136 villages."
"This intensive process requires strong committed partnership with other government ministries, non-government organisations, civil society and development partners," Mr. Pohiva said.
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
At the heart of the sustainable development agenda is ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable are met.
This is also one of the guiding principles highlighted in the recently endorsed Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP) – a first integrated climate change and disaster risk reduction framework of its kind for the Pacific and the world.
"Climate Change impacts people disproportionately," said Samuela Pohiva, Under Secretary for the Government of Tonga's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).
"The fundamental core human rights such as the right to life, safety, dignity, non-discrimination and access to basic necessities are constantly threatened by adverse impacts of climate change", Mr. Pohiva said.
"Therefore, human rights considerations must also be integrated across national and community development plans."
He spoke at a side event titled: SDG 1: Community-level adaptation practices to reduce disaster risk, build resilience and end poverty at the meeting of the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-22) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
"With the leadership of the Climate Change Department, we are incorporating national priorities developed from Tonga's climate change policy and integrating them into community development plans."
"To date, Tonga has completed integrating climate change and disaster risks into community level planning for 136 villages."
"This intensive process requires strong committed partnership with other government ministries, non-government organisations, civil society and development partners," Mr. Pohiva said.
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