12 June 2023, Apia Samoa. Climate change practitioners from Fiji, Kiribati, and Samoa will benefit from a training organised by the EU funded Global Climate Change Alliance Plus Scaling Up Pacific Adaptation (GCCA+ SUPA) Project in partnership with the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) to build capacity on the Pacific tailored Impacts Analysis(IA) Methodology and Database. The IA Methodology assesses past climate change adaptation interventions to gauge the level of investment return and benefits gained by communities as a result of such climate actions.
Over the course of the four-day training, participants will be learning from the experiences of practitioners from Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands and Tonga that have already applied the IA methodology in their contexts. Participants will also take part in a two-day field trip to local adaptation projects in Savaii and utilise the Checklist with tailored focus group questions as the practical in further understanding how to apply the ‘light version’ impact tools to collect, collate and analyse data before feeding into the newly built impact database. Thus, providing practiced confidence for participants in applying the methodology tools.
The Pacific continues to face challenges of water and food security, impact to our people’s health and wellbeing from climate-induced displacement, flooding, cyclones and other extreme weather events. Our Pacific islands are expected to face increasing risks and feel the impacts of a changing climate. Pacific Climate Change Centre Manager, Ms Ofa Ma’asi-Kaisamy opened the workshop by noting the importance of examining impacts of past climate actions to track adaptation progress. She says, “with our actions to manage risk and the onset of climate change impacts, it is just as important to track progress with the Pacific tailored IA Methodology, and ensure the effectiveness of future climate change adaptation work”.
She also highlights the importance of partnerships for the sustainability of the IA Methodology, “the GCCA+ SUPA Project takes a coordinated approach through its implementing partners, University of the South Pacific (USP), Pacific Community (SPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) which captures knowledge and takes lessons learned from past interventions to inform strategic planning for scaling up action.”
The PCCC is underpinned by strong partnerships with Pacific Governments, applied research institutions, donors and civil society and the private sector. The centre delivers four mutually reinforcing functions, capacity building, research, knowledge brokerage and innovation. Therefore, it is well placed for the sustainability of the IA Methodology and Database through its core functions and mandate.
The sub-regional training is the second one held since the Regional Training of the IA Methodology and Database training held in November 2022, in Nadi, Fiji and extends the advocacy outreach of the methodology and sustaining the added value of applying the methodology and tools.
About GCCA+SUPA
The Global Climate Change Alliance Plus Scaling up Pacific Adaptation (GCCA+ SUPA) is about scaling up climate change adaptation measures in specific sectors supported through knowledge management and capacity building. The 4.5-year project (2019-2023) is funded with € 14.89 million from the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and The University of the South Pacific (USP), in collaboration with the governments and peoples of Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tonga and Tuvalu.
About the Pacific Climate Change Centre, PCCC
The Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) is a globally respected Centre of Excellence providing practical information, support and training to address the adaptation and mitigation priorities of Pacific communities. It is underpinned by strong partnerships with Pacific Governments, applied research institutions, donors, civil society and the private sector. The PCCC delivers four mutually reinforcing functions:
- Knowledge brokerage: Building relationships between the producers and users of climate change knowledge to enable Pacific Governments and other decision-makers to receive timely, robust information in user-friendly formats.
- Applied research: The PCCC hosts research projects that are designed to address specific research objectives and priorities identified in the region and which lead to practical outcomes for the Pacific.
- Capacity building through training and learning: The PCCC is a one-stop-shop for the improved coordination of climate change training and will help the region to more effectively learn from climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts to date.
- Innovation: The PCCC supports the development of innovative products and services which can increase resilience in the Pacific.
For further information on the work of the PCCC please contact [email protected]