Similar to other small island developing states in the Pacific, the Solomon Islands is highly susceptible to the effects of climate change.
To address this issue, a team from The University of the South Pacific (USP) travelled to the Solomon Islands as part of the European Union-funded Intra-ACP GCCA+ Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience Building (PACRES) programme.
The USP PACRES team met with local community representatives, key stakeholders, and members of the Barana community in the Solomon Islands during their three-day visit, which took place from May 3rd to May 5th, 2023.
The PACRES team conducted an in-country mission to determine the research requirements of the community regarding climate change and disaster risk resilience aimed at streamlining the results of the 2021 Participatory Needs Analysis in the Solomon Islands and identifying research needs that would lead to evidence-based enhancements in resilient development strategies tailored to the Pacific region.
The current Community Action Plans (CAP) for the Barana community will also be reviewed and updated as part of the USP PACRES programme, with completion and launch set for next month.
The three-day discussion includes 31 participants and change agents, 13 males and 18 females.
The PACRES Programme aims to promote climate change and disaster risk management by organising training sessions at sub-national levels, integrating these concepts into national, sub-national, and community development plans, and expanding the implementation of ecosystem-based adaptation projects. Additionally, research and capacity-building efforts will be intensified in the Pacific-ACP region.
The USP component of the PACRES program, which the European Union funds to support adaptation to climate change and resilience building in the Pacific region, is being carried out in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the leading agency, as well as the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).
