Partnerships Are Part of Larger (USD) $21 Million U.S. Government Climate Assistance Program in the Pacific Small Island Developing States
Thursday 8 September 2011, Auckland, NZ --- The United States Government today formally joined forces with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to advance climate change adaptation. These partnerships are part of a larger (USD) $21 million "fast start" finance commitment made by the United States for a Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) climate change program.
"Climate change poses major challenges for the people and environments of the Pacific. In many cases it is a matter of survival. SPREP, working with SPC and other agencies, is developing and implementing practical approaches to help countries adapt to climate change," said Mr. David Sheppard the Director of SPREP.
"This landmark and most welcome support from the United States will make a major contribution to these efforts to respond to climate change. This support will focus on the priorities identified by countries, with a particular emphasis on practical programmes which will help building local capacity."
Dr Jimmy Rodgers, the Director-General of SPC welcomed the formal commitment to this partnership given the impacts of climate change are more pronounced in the Pacific Small Island Developing States. He said for many of their citizens, climate change touches and impacts on their lives on a regular basis:
"This support from the United States is historic. It represents a new partnership approach of working with regional organisations which will help bring together the many aspects of the climate change support aimed primarily at complementing and further strengthening the capacity of the participating countries to respond effectively to the challenges of climate change."
Through these partnerships, the United States, SPC and SPREP will strengthen the capacity of the countries and communities in the Pacific Islands to improve food security and water security, and to protect critical ecosystems. The partnerships will also help these countries access information about climate impacts to make more effective and sustainable decisions in the face of climate change. Representatives from the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development were joined by representatives from SPC and SPREP to announce the partnership at a formal signing ceremony on the margins of the Pacific Island Forum and Post-Forum Dialogue.
"The United States recognizes that climate change poses a significant threat to the development and security of Pacific islands. We have prioritised efforts to expand U.S. bilateral and multilateral adaptation assistance and are committed to helping Pacific Small Island Developing States adapt to the impacts of climate change," said Thomas R. Nides, the Deputy Secretary of State, US Department of State.
The United States will also manage the $21 million program through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which will open an office in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in the coming months.
"USAID is committed to the success of these programs. As the implementing U.S. government agency, USAID looks forward to collaborating with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to combat the climate adaptation challenges of the Pacific islands," said Nisha Biswal, Assistant Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development.
Rainfall changes and extreme weather events will cause heightened food security challenges for the PSIDS in the coming decades. As a result, the United States and SPC have partnered to strengthen food security among communities in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The United States and SPREP will help improve the ability of communities in Kiribati to address the impact of climate change on water resources as well as help Kiribati's Ministry of Health integrate adaptation into national health planning and policies. The United States and SPREP also will work together to promote healthy ecosystems in the Solomon Islands.
Last year, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the $21 million U.S. "fast start" finance assistance for the PSIDS over two years (2010-2011). The PSIDS funding is a part of a larger commitment from the United States to work with developed country partners to provide "fast start" financing from 2010-2012. The "fast start" financing was included in the negotiated packages agreed to at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen and Cancun.