Environmental Monitoring and Governance
Training on participatory Three-Dimensional Modelling or P3DM was successfully completed last week in the Vava'u islands, Kingdom of Tonga. The training was coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and delivered by the Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with the assistance of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).
It was an activity under the GEFPAS Integrated Island Biodiversity Project and brought community members and government officials together to construct a three-dimensional model of their island group. The three-dimensional model will assist greatly with the process for the identification, establishment and management of conservation sites for the Vava'u Island Group.
The training was officially closed with the unveiling of the 3-dimensional model by the Honourable Governor of Vava'u, Lord Fulivai last Friday evening. "This is not just a three dimensional model, it is a living representation of our traditional knowledge and cultural heritage" said Lord Fulivai during the unveiling.
"I commend the hard work and dedication of all those who were involved in the P3DM training which resulted in the first ever model produced for the Kingdom of Tonga. This is not the end but the start of a process towards a more integrated approach to ensure Vava'u island biodiversity and ecosystems are sustainably managed," said Easter Galuvao, SPREP Biodiversity Adviser.
"As a student and citizen of Vava'u I have found this training very useful, it is useful for our studies and geography examination, increasing our geographic skills and understanding of where Vava'u is located and would help us plan and prepare for natural disasters" said Timote Violeti of Vava'u High School.
The training started on Monday 16 November 2015.
The P3DM training was produced as an activity of Tonga's GEFPAS Integrated Island Biodiversity project in collaboration with SPREP, Samoa's Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment, the Government of Tonga's Ministry of Environment, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), and all the key agencies, organisations and communities in Vavau.
It was an activity under the GEFPAS Integrated Island Biodiversity Project and brought community members and government officials together to construct a three-dimensional model of their island group. The three-dimensional model will assist greatly with the process for the identification, establishment and management of conservation sites for the Vava'u Island Group.
The training was officially closed with the unveiling of the 3-dimensional model by the Honourable Governor of Vava'u, Lord Fulivai last Friday evening. "This is not just a three dimensional model, it is a living representation of our traditional knowledge and cultural heritage" said Lord Fulivai during the unveiling.
"I commend the hard work and dedication of all those who were involved in the P3DM training which resulted in the first ever model produced for the Kingdom of Tonga. This is not the end but the start of a process towards a more integrated approach to ensure Vava'u island biodiversity and ecosystems are sustainably managed," said Easter Galuvao, SPREP Biodiversity Adviser.
"As a student and citizen of Vava'u I have found this training very useful, it is useful for our studies and geography examination, increasing our geographic skills and understanding of where Vava'u is located and would help us plan and prepare for natural disasters" said Timote Violeti of Vava'u High School.
The training started on Monday 16 November 2015.
The P3DM training was produced as an activity of Tonga's GEFPAS Integrated Island Biodiversity project in collaboration with SPREP, Samoa's Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment, the Government of Tonga's Ministry of Environment, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), and all the key agencies, organisations and communities in Vavau.