BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
EUROPEAN Union continues to be a champion in preparing Solomon Islands mitigate the effects and impacts of climate change, with millions of dollars being pumped into the country for various projects.
Currently, under the EU-GIZ programme, they have engaged SINU and Selwyn College in a project called Adapting to Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (ACSE) project.
ACSE Project Manager Mr Fox H Qwaina ACSE programme has three components.
First component is the EU-GIZ Adaptation to Climate Change and Sustainable Energy which cost 18.64 million Euros.
He said the project is being administered by the GIZ in close collaboration with the SPC-GIZ programme known as Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region.
Besides that, the Energy Catalyst Component and it cost 10 million Euros which has been jointly managed by the EU with the Asian Development Bank in some selected PACP’s, he adds.
Third component is the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) on sustainable energy cost 6.1 million Euros and it has jointly management by the EU with the SPC, Mr Qwaina said.
Mr Qwaina said SIG through Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology and the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification are co-Ministries overseeing the ACSE project.
On regional level, EU in conjunction with GIZ has been assisting the Pacific African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
There are 15 countries in the pacific EU-GIZ has worked through programme known as Adaptation to Climate Change and Sustainable Energy funded by the 10th European Development Fund (EDF 10).
The countries are Cook Islands, Federate State of Micronesian, Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The objectives of the ACSE programme is to enhance sustainable livelihood in PACP’s and to strengthen PACP’s capacities to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.
Moreover, ACSE project also look to enhance PACP’s energy at the National, provincial and local levels.
This ACSE programme is forming part of a broader EU engagement on climate change adaptation, sustainable energy and disaster risk management in the pacific islands countries.
Such includes the global climate alliance programme, the BSRP and the former B-envelope disaster risk reduction project under the EDF 9.
