Durban, South Africa, 9 December - The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project has raised its profile at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. Over the last two weeks, the project that carries out adaptation actions at the community level in 14 Pacific countries has shared the achievements and lessons learnt through many different platforms.
L-R: PACC Regional Project Manager Mr. Taito Nakalevu, PACC Solomon Islands Coordinator Mr. Casper Supa, and PACC Palau Coordinator Mr. Jerome Temengil
During the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework to the Convention on Climate Change PACC has been featured at numerous side events, showcased the short film "Vital Roads" and distributed different resources about the project and what has been achieved. Presentations have been made by the national coordinators of Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga so audiences have heard directly from those who are leading these activities in-country. Partners of the multi-million dollar project have encouraged the Pacific-wide project to continuing promoting the adaptation work that is done.
"These presentations with key results are what we should take to the audience especially to the donor countries of the Special Climate Change Fund as it will put them in a better position to raise funds," said Mr Rawleston Moore, the Global Environment Facility Small Island Developing States Focal Point.
United Nations Development Programme – Global Environment Facility Senior Technical Advisor – Adaptation (Global) Mr Pradeep Kurukulasuriya shared the same sentiment.
"Like GEF mentioned we need more of these products, there are not enough of these communicated on what most of the countries are already doing with the limited resources already available."
"We can use these projects that are ongoing to communicate what is being done with resources that have been mobilised; it can only help because in the eyes of the donors there is still misconception that assessments are being done but not actual implementation on the ground," he said.
H.E Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi Elisaia, the Ambassador from Samoa to the United Nations was part of the panel that
"The presentation shared with us is what is actually happening on the ground and too often the donors do not get to hear our message but I think of having this as an opportunity for the accountability process."
With support from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Climate Change Capacity Development Programme, the PACC Project recently added to its regional team a Communications Coordinator to ensure the third component of the project, that is Communications and Technical Support is achieved.
This shows commitment by the project and the value of communicating the work and lessons learnt to its audience.
Member countries are currently finalising communications plans and have begun work on developing information packages and visibility materials to raise the awareness.
The PACC Project focus on three development sectors, Samoa, Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia, Tokelau, and Cook Islands are under the Coastal Management Sector; Fiji, Solomon Islands, Palau and Papua New Guinea are under the Food Production and Food Security Sector; and Niue, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tonga and Republic of the Marshall Islands are under the Water Resource Management Sector.
The project is implemented by UNDP in partnership with SPREP and funded by GEF and the Australian Agency for International Development with support from the UNITAR C3D+ Programme.
For more information, visit: http://www.sprep.org/climate_change/PACC/index.asp
More news and images from the UNFCCC COP17 in Durban available on the Climate Pasifika Blog.