USP PACRES meets with the Solomon Islands Climate Action Network (SICAN) and other local key stakeholders.

05 May 2023

Last year, the University of the South Pacific (USP) held a two-day Grant Proposal Writing Training at the All Saints Mothers Union Hall in Honiara, Solomon Islands, as part of the European Union-funded Intra-ACP GCCA+ Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience Building (PACRES) programme.

The training was designed to help members of the Solomon Islands Climate Change Action Network (SICAN) and other local key stakeholders involved in climate change and disaster resilience work on how to obtain funding to assist in building capacity and resilience within their communities.

The USP PACRES team met with SICAN representatives and other local key stakeholders on May 3rd to discuss the impact of the Grant Proposal Writing Training. Eight participants, three men, and five women shared their perspectives on how the training helped them secure funds for their respective communities.

According to Mr. Slade Ririmae, Coordinator of the Solomon Islands Climate Action Network (SICAN) in Honiara said, “Thanks to the Grant Proposal Writing Training, we were able to successfully secure eleven grants.” He went on to explain that prior to the training, they would often receive numerous grant proposals and would rush to respond without fully understanding how to write proposals in order to secure necessary funds.

Since completing the training, he added, “We have been equipped with the knowledge and skills required to understand the process, and we can now obtain the funds necessary to make a positive impact in our respective communities.”

The USP PACRES programme team is currently in the Solomons Islands conducting consultations to determine local communities’ research needs. The team will meet with key stakeholders such as Government Officials, Barana and Mataniko community members, and representatives from the SICAN.

The PACRES programme aims to ensure better regional and national adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change challenges faced by Pacific countries of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) at operational, institutional, and financial levels.

The USP component of the European Union-funded Intra-ACP GCCA+ Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience Building (PACRES) programme is implemented in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP, lead agency), The Pacific Community (SPC) and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).