By EDDIE OSIFELO
SOLOMON Islands Infrastructure Programme (SIIP) is considering impacts of climate change as high priority in its design for projects.
Tony Telford, infrastructure management leader in Hub confirmed this during the media breakfast event at Heritage Park Hotel on Monday.
He said the impacts of climate change is real in the Solomon Islands after their scoping visits to Malu’u (Malaita), Buala (Isabel) and Seghe (Western).
“Just focusing on climate change and disaster resilience, certainly climate change is a very real threat and it is something that is considered at the very start of any design process.
“At Malu’u, the shoreline coming closer, so that is something we need to consider at the very start of the design process,” he said.
Furthermore, Telford said the other thing that they noticed at Buala, there is a wharf next to the market and looking at photos, the wharf is under water few times each year.
He said that is another visible impact that climate change has and forefront on design process.
Moreover, Australia High Commissioner in Honiara, Dr Lachan Strahan said with the election of current Australia Government, new emphasis on climate change, step up on climate change efforts.
He said that is to adopt bigger targets and faster.
“As I moved around the country to different locations able to see what climate change is doing,” he added.
Resilient to climate change and natural disasters is one of the five guiding principles of SIIP activities.
The others are:
Aligned with the priorities of Solomon Islands and Australia and overseen by a joint Steering Committee;
Inclusive, accessible infrastructure in every province;
Local jobs and supporting industry with skills and opportunities wherever possible and;
Safe, quality and sustainable planning, design and construction.
